Truly Dreadful Film

Perfect cast and a good story

A Brilliant Conflict

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

A kindly old dowager takes a penniless artist into her lavish household, only to find out he's got his own plans.For a filmed stage play, the movie surprisingly never drags. That's a tribute to a tight screenplay and excellent staging. For example, catch how director Sturges in the first confrontation scene positions the four intruders in the foreground so they appear now to loom over the exasperated old lady (Barrymore), symbolizing their gradual reversal of authority. Then too, Sturges has basically only a single set to dramatize with, a real staging challenge.However, the movie really belongs to the mild-looking Evans (Elcott) who manages an effortless study in civilized evil. His manipulations are so understated that his malignant nature sort of creeps up on you. It's one of the slyer incarnations in the history of bad guys. And get a load of the Edwards family, with the shrill Lansbury, the hulking Wynn, and the bratty Aggie. They're household help from heck, and we know Barrymore's in big trouble when this British version of The Beverly Hillbillies walk in the door. Anyway, the tension stays on high as we feel trapped along with the kind lady. All in all, the movie's a minor gem of claustrophobic suspense.

Fragile, wealthy, and elderly Ethel Barrymore (as Mary Herries) invites struggling artist Maurice Evans (as Henry Springer Elcott) into her home. A London art collector filled with Christian charity, Ms. Barrymore wants to help Mr. Evans' sickly wife Betsy Blair (as Ada Elcott) recover from a fainting spell. But, the couple turn out to be con artists. Soon, her house-guest has taken over, getting rid of the servants and binding Barrymore in her bed. Moreover, Evans has crooked Keenan Wynn (as Edwards) and shifty wife Angela Lansbury move in as maid and butler, while he pretends to be Barrymore's nephew.They sell Barrymore's valuables and tell inquisitors the "Kind Lady" has suddenly become delusional.This re-make of the 1935 stage play and subsequent film is delightfully well-cast, features fine production values, and good direction from John Sturges with cinematographer Joseph Ruttenberg. But, not much done to improve the adaptation. Characters and situations come and go with little or no explanation - some even have no point in being part of the story at all. For example, something sinister could have been done with the cat - or, at least hinted at - and the naughty child "Aggie" (played by Barbara Shields) disappears after quite an entertaining introduction. It's certainly worth watching, but a bit frustrating.****** Kind Lady (6/20/51) John Sturges ~ Ethel Barrymore, Maurice Evans, Angela Lansbury, Keenan Wynn

At the outset, I must point out that this movie is very similar to the later movie, THE SERVANT, starring Dirk Bogarde. Both concern a person bringing someone into their homes who turns out to be an evil sociopath who threatens and dominates and exploits the master of the house.In this film, sweet old Ethel Barrymore lives alone in a big house. She meets a struggling artist (Maurice Evens) and naively offers to let him stay with her until he becomes an established artist. However, over time, it becomes more and more obvious that Evans is much more interested in Barrymore's fortune and invites in a group of "caretakers" to lock away the old lady as they loot her estate.The acting is superb and the movie is genuinely scary and well made. A wonderful old film that is rarely seen today.

Ethel Barrymore, ("The Spiral Staircase"'46), gave one of her greatest performances as an old lady captured in her home with all her favorites treasures along with other film greats like:- Maurice Evans,("Beneath the Planet of the Apes"'s '70, Angela Lansbury,(Mrs. Edwards) "Murder She Wrote",'03 and Keenan Wynn, son of Ed Wynn the veteran comedian of the '30's and 40's. Every film that Ethel Barrymore ever appeared in was a great success because of her great family of actors, John, Lionel and presently Drew.