Gone to Earth (film)

Gone to Earth

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1950 (1950)
Founder	Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Products	Film

Gone to Earth is a 1950 British film produced in Technicolor by the directing and writing duo Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The cast features Jennifer Jones, David Farrar, Cyril Cusack, and Esmond Knight. For the American audience, producer David O. Selznick significantly reworked the film, releasing it under the title The Wild Heart in 1952.

Adapted from Mary Webb’s 1917 novel, Gone to Earth found appreciation during the 1930s neo-romantic movement despite being initially overlooked.

Plot

Set against the backdrop of 1897 Shropshire, Hazel Woodus lives in close harmony with nature and wild creatures, guided by a spellbook passed down from her gypsy mother. While local landowner Jack Reddin pursues her affection, Hazel’s heart belongs to Baptist minister Edward Marston, igniting a struggle over her destiny.

Cast

• Jennifer Jones portraying Hazel Woodus
• David Farrar as John "Jack" Reddin
• Cyril Cusack in the role of Edward Marston
• Sybil Thorndike as Mrs. Marston
• Edward Chapman playing Mr. James
• Esmond Knight as Abel Woodus
• Hugh Griffith portraying Andrew Vessons
• George Cole as Cousin Albert

Production

Principal photography for Gone to Earth, filmed in Technicolor, commenced on 1 August 1949. Studio scenes were completed at Shepperton Studios located in Surrey, while most outdoor filming took place near Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Local inhabitants, including members of a Methodist church choir, participated as extras.

The project was co-produced with American producer David O. Selznick, who was known for frequently sending detailed notes to directors—often disregarded—while reportedly under the influence of amphetamines.

The Wild Heart

Despite being involved throughout production, Selznick was dissatisfied with the final cut and initiated legal action against The Archers to enforce changes. Although he lost the lawsuit, he retained the authority to alter the film for its U.S. release.

Selznick re-edited the movie and incorporated new scenes filmed in Hollywood under director Rouben Mamoulian, resulting in The Wild Heart (1952). His modifications included adding a prologue, explanatory inserts, and increasing close-up shots of his wife, Jennifer Jones. A notable alteration is the ending sequence where Jones carries a domesticated fox—actually a stuffed animal.

He also excised several sequences he considered insufficiently dramatic, some of which were crucial to the storyline. Powell asserted that only about 35 minutes of the original footage remained intact in Selznick’s American version.

Restoration

In 1985, the original Gone to Earth underwent comprehensive restoration by the British Film Institute’s National Archive. A review in the New Statesman praised it as "one of the great British regional films," while cinematographer Christopher Challis described it as "one of the most beautiful films ever shot of the English countryside."

Both editions are available on Blu-ray through Kino Lorber Studio Classics, under license from The Walt Disney Company and copyright holder ABC.

In popular culture

The film receives a notable mention in Jonathan Coe’s novel The Rain Before It Falls (2007), where two characters appear briefly as extras during an early scene (approximately at 8:25).

External links

• – Comprehensive synopsis, film images, and excerpts (accessible in UK libraries only)
• Critical reviews and essays hosted on the Powell & Pressburger Website