The Queen of Spades (1949 film)

The Queen of Spades (film)

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1949
Founder	Thorold Dickinson (director), Anatole de Grunwald (producer)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Fantasy horror film

The Queen of Spades is a 1949 British film blending fantasy and horror elements, directed by Thorold Dickinson and featuring performances by Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans, and introducing Yvonne Mitchell in her first film role. This movie is an adaptation of the 1834 short story written by Alexander Pushkin.

Plot

Set in St Petersburg during 1806, Captain Herman Suvorin, an engineer officer, observes his comrades engaged in faro gambling but refrains from participating due to his cautious nature.

Herman becomes intrigued by the elderly Countess Ranevskaya, who is rumored to possess a secret method for winning at cards, allegedly acquired through a pact made years earlier. He acquires a book titled The Strange Secrets of the Count de Saint Germain, which narrates tales of individuals who exchanged their souls for fortune. One chapter mentions a "Countess R***" who learned a gambling secret from the Count in 1746—Herman deduces this refers to the Countess.

The countess cares for her young ward, Lizaveta Ivanovna. Andrei, a noble-born officer and Herman’s acquaintance, courts Lizaveta. Simultaneously, Herman attempts to win Lizaveta’s favor through love letters to gain entry to the countess’s residence. Andrei cautions Lizaveta about Herman’s motives; she ignores his warnings.

Herman confronts the countess demanding she reveal the secret, offering to assume responsibility for her sin. When she refuses to respond, he threatens her with a pistol; she dies from shock. Fleeing to Lizaveta’s apartment, Herman admits what he has done and reveals the pistol was not loaded. Lizaveta is horrified by his selfishness.

At the countess's funeral, Herman notices her eyes open while she lies in the coffin. That night, her ghost visits him, disclosing the three winning cards (three, seven, ace) but insists he marry Lizaveta. Herman seeks reconciliation with Lizaveta; she rejects him.

Using his savings, Herman gambles at a gaming salon. Andrei challenges him to a duel but agrees first to play faro. Herman wins using the three and seven of spades. In a final round, Herman bets on what he believes is the ace of spades but loses when the queen of spades appears instead, losing all his money. As Andrei escorts him away, Herman murmurs "three, seven, ace … three, seven, queen".

Lizaveta and Andrei celebrate their future together by fulfilling her wish to purchase and release all birds in the marketplace.

Cast

• Anton Walbrook as Captain Herman Suvorin
• Edith Evans as Countess Ranevskaya
• Yvonne Mitchell as Lizaveta Ivanovna
• Ronald Howard as Andrei
• Mary Jerrold as Old Varvarushka
• Anthony Dawson as Fyodor
• Miles Malleson as Tchybukin
• Michael Medwin as Hovaisky
• Athene Seyler as Princess Ivashin
• Ivor Barnard as Bookseller
• Aubrey Mallalieu as Fedya
• Maroussia Dimitrevitch as Gypsy singer
• Violetta Elvin as Gypsy dancer
• Pauline Tennant as young Countess Ranevskaya
• Hay Petrie as Herman's servant (final film)
• Aubrey Woods as Dimitri

Production

The screenplay was adapted from Alexander Pushkin’s short story The Queen of Spades, with Arthur Boys and Rodney Ackland credited for the script. Initially directed by Ackland, he was replaced by Thorold Dickinson following disagreements with producer Anatole de Grunwald and lead actor Walbrook; Dickinson also made revisions to parts of the screenplay.

Filming occurred at Welwyn Studios, Hertfordshire. The production’s sets were designed by William Kellner, inspired by original designs from Oliver Messel.

Release

Initially thought to be lost, The Queen of Spades was eventually found and reintroduced to British theaters on 26 December 2009. The film was subsequently released on Region 2 DVD in January 2010.

Box office

By April 1950, the movie had generated £47,282 in gross receipts for UK distributors, with £17,678 of that amount paid back to the producer. Nevertheless, the production ultimately suffered a financial loss totaling £214,822.

Critical

In 1949, The New York Times commended both the ensemble cast and the film's production values, emphasizing its romantic suspense elements. Meanwhile, Kine Weekly remarked on the film’s artistic ambitions, suggesting it might not resonate broadly with general audiences.

The Monthly Film Bulletin praised Edith Evans’ portrayal and the quality of sound design but criticized Anton Walbrook’s vocal delivery. Despite some issues with pacing, the film was recognized as an exceptional production.

Film historian Leslie Halliwell described it as a deliberately slow yet atmospheric adaptation featuring notable style and performances. David Quinlan gave it a "good" rating, characterizing it as a richly decorated "baroque chiller."

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded the movie 4 out of 5 stars, labeling it Dickinson’s finest achievement and a deeply atmospheric ghost story.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 96% approval rating from critics based on 24 reviews, with an average score of 8.4 out of 10.

Prominent directors such as Wes Anderson have listed it among their favorite British films. Martin Scorsese praised Dickinson as an underrated filmmaker and hailed the movie as a classic within supernatural cinema. Critic Dennis Schwartz rated it A−, calling it a masterfully crafted surreal supernatural narrative.

Accolades

The film received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and was officially selected for competition at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.