Wed 17 Feb 2021
A British Mystery Movie Review: THE CLOUDED YELLOW (1950).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[9] Comments
THE CLOUDED YELLOW. Carillon Films, UK, 1950. Jean Simmons, Trevor Howard, Sonia Dresdel, Barry Jones, Kenneth More. Director: Ralph Thomas. Currently available on YouTube here.
Booted out of the British Secret Service after a long career but one failed mission, the only work ex-Major David Somers (Trevor Howard) can find is that of cataloguing the butterfly collection of the husband half of a couple living out in the country. (The title of the film refers to a particular specimen of butterfly.) It’s a relaxing job, but not quite what Somers was looking for.
One mitigating factor, though, is the couple’s niece, Sophie Malraux (played to perfection by the always exquisitely beautiful Jean Simmons), who has been living with them since she was six. As the couple confide to Somers, the reason she often acts in such a “muddled†fashion, she that she was the first on the scene when she found the dead bodies of her parents, a murder-suicide, he is told.
Then when the couple’s gamekeeper is found murdered, all the evidence points to Sophie. Not believing it for a minute, the obviously smitten ex-major and Sophie go on the run, all around England and constantly only a step or two ahead of the authorities. It is here, of course, where many reviewers bring up Alfred Hitchcock as an obvious point of comparison, and The 39 Steps in particular.
Not so fast, I said to myself, however. The Clouded Yellow is good but certainly not that good. It’s fun to watch, but the first third moves awfully slowly, and the girl-and-guy-on-the-run story that follows has plot holes galore – not serious ones, but if you’re fond of picking nits in the movies you watch, you will find lots of nits to pick in this one.
Please don’t take this comment too much to heart. Both the acting and the photography are fine, and any movie with Jean Simmons in it is well worth your time. My time, anyway, any time.
February 17th, 2021 at 9:55 am
I saw The Clouded Yellow in 1950 and thought Jean Simmons remarkable, loved hearing ‘muddled’ used but ultimately, had enough of it, and while Trevor Howard was memorable, he was not my idea of gravity’s center.
February 17th, 2021 at 10:01 am
A perfectly stated one line review, Barry.
February 17th, 2021 at 10:24 am
Steve,
Thanks for a good review of a movie I’ve never heard of. I will now search it out if only for Jean Simmons. Also, unless I’m missing something, please change the Hitchcock movie to 39 STEPS.
February 17th, 2021 at 11:04 am
Oops!
February 17th, 2021 at 5:28 pm
Howard has a string of leading man roles in this period, often in thrillers like this, MALAGA with Dorothy Dandridge (based on a Donald Mackenzie novel), Graham Greene’s HEART OF THE MATTER, THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL, David Lean’s romantic classic BRIEF ENCOUNTER, and others. His career soon turned to character parts, but for a while he was a popular leading man.
While I agree this is no THIRTY NINE STEPS, it is certainly one of the better British films in that vein and the cross country chase is beautifully filmed.
February 17th, 2021 at 6:10 pm
I saw in theater and found it fun and worth the trip across town to sample it. Simple, easy-to-follow, a brisk romp around a distant countryside where I’ve never been; and a vigorous outing from Trevor Howard. Reliable performer, in my book.
February 18th, 2021 at 4:53 pm
Haven’t seen it in years but I wouldn’t mind getting back to it.
June 4th, 2023 at 9:04 pm
Enjoyed it very much untitled on YouTube.
April 22nd, 2024 at 5:16 pm
One of the better Hitchcockian thrillers. It’s a movie I have returned to on a number of occasions.
The director would later use Kenneth More in his remake of The 39 Steps, which when last viewed (a long time ago) I found rather disappointing.
He also directed at least one other thriller which I believe I liked ie The Venetian Bird.
I must check that that out again.
I give this movie an 8/10.