The Skin Game (1931 Film)
Transcript of The Skin Game (1931 Film)
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The Skin Game (1931 film)
The Skin Game
Region 4 DVD cover
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by John Maxwell
Written by John Galsworthy (play)
Alfred Hitchcock
(adaptation)
Alma Reville (scenario)
Starring Edmund Gwenn
Helen Haye
C.V. France
Jill Esmond
John Longden
Phyllis Konstam
Cinematography Jack E. Cox
Distributed by Wardour Films Ltd.
Release date(s) 26 February 1931 UK release
Running time 77 mins
Country United Kingdom
Language English
The Skin Game is a 1931 film by Alfred Hitchcock, based on a play by John Galsworthy and produced by British
International Pictures (BIP). The story revolves around two rival families, the Hillcrists and the Hornblowers, and
the disastrous results of the feud between them.
After being thought to be in the public domain for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French media company
Canal+ in 2005. A restored and remastered print of the film was released on DVD by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
in 2007.
Plot
The plot tells the story of a feud between two affluent families, the long-established (upper class) Hillcrists, played
by C.V. France, Helen Haye, and Jill Esmond, and the nouveau riche (formerly working class) Hornblowers, played
by Edmund Gwenn, John Longden, and Frank Lawton. Two underlying themes in the story are class warfare and the
urbanization of the countryside.
The Hillcrists are upset by the actions of Mr. Hornblower, whom they consider to be ostentatious and crass, in
buying up land, evicting tenant farmers, and surrounding the area with factories. The Hillcrists make every effort
they can to preserve the last large piece of open land that adjoins their beautiful rural estate.
After being tricked out of the land in an auction, the Hillcrists learn a dark secret about Mr. Hornblower's beautiful
daughter-in-law Chloe (played by Phyllis Konstam). It turns out that she had previously earned a living by playing
the professional "other woman" in pre-arranged divorce cases.
When Mr. Hornblower learns of this secret, and that the Hillcrists have discovered it and are prepared to use it
against his family, Mr. Hornblower agrees to sell the rural land to the Hillcrists for less than half the auction price,on the condition that the family swears to keep the information secret. However, the news starts to leak out,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phyllis_Konstamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tenant_farmershttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Lawtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Longdenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Gwennhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jill_Esmondhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helen_Hayehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C.V._Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2007_in_home_videohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lionsgate_Home_Entertainmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canal%2Bhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Public_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_International_Pictureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_International_Pictureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Galsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Hitchcockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1931_in_filmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jack_E._Coxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phyllis_Konstamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Longdenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jill_Esmondhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C.V._Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helen_Hayehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Gwennhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alma_Revillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Hitchcockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Galsworthyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfred_Hitchcock -
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The Skin Game (1931 film) 2
precipitating a crisis in the family.
Chloe Hornblower goes to the Hillcrists, begging them to help keep the secret from her husband, who is aware that
something is going on. She hides behind a curtain when her husband unexpectedly storms into the Hillcrist home,
demanding to know the secret.
Keeping his promise to Chloe, Mr. Hillcrist makes up a story, but the young Mr. Hornblower is not convinced, and
declares that he intends to end his marriage, even though Chloe is pregnant with his child.
Upon hearing this, Chloe runs to the lily pond outside the Hillcrist home and drowns herself. When her body is
discovered, the elder Hornblower concedes that Hillcrist has destroyed him and his family completely. Hillcrist
attempts to apologize.
Cast (in credits order)
C.V. France as Mr HillcristThe Hillcrists
Helen Haye as Mrs HillcristThe Hillcrists
Jill Esmond as JillThe Hillcrists
Edmund Gwenn as Mr Hornblower
The Hornblowers John Longden as CharlesThe Hornblowers
Phyllis Konstam as ChloeThe Hornblowers
Frank Lawton as RolfThe Hornblowers
Herbert Ross as The Jackmans
Dora Gregory as The Jackmans
Edward Chapman as Dawker
R.E. Jeffrey as First Stranger
George Bancroft as Second Stranger
Ronald Frankau as Auctioneer
External links
The Skin Game[1]
at the Internet Movie Database
The Skin Game[2]
at Rotten Tomatoes
The Skin Game Eyegate Gallery[3]
References
[1] http:/ /www.imdb.com/title/tt0022395/
[2] http:/ /www.rottentomatoes. com/m/1046655-skin_game/
[3] http:/ /www.eyegate.com/cine/The_Skin_Game/
http://www.eyegate.com/cine/The_Skin_Game/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046655-skin_game/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022395/http://www.eyegate.com/cine/The_Skin_Game/http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rotten_Tomatoeshttp://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046655-skin_game/http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_Movie_Databasehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022395/http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ronald_Frankauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_Chapman_%28actor%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Lawtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phyllis_Konstamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Longdenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Gwennhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jill_Esmondhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helen_Hayehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C.V._France -
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Article Sources and Contributors 3
Article Sources and ContributorsThe Skin Game (1931 film) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=561476886 Contributors: Active Banana, Andrew777, Aspects, Auntof6, Bensin, Caiaffa, Cammoore, D6,
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License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/