The Seventh Veil (1945) Black and White Approx. 89 min. Shown in its original aspect ratio 4:3
Plus “Home James” – documentary hosted by James Mason Color Approx. 40 min. Playable in the US, Canada, Mexico, etc.
Starring: James Mason, Herbert Lom, Ann Todd, Hugh McDermott, Albert Lieven Written by Sydney Box and Muriel Box Produced by Sydney Box Cinematography by Reginald Wyer Edited by Gordon Hales Music by Benjamin Frankel Directed by Compton Bennett
Ann Todd stars as an amnesiac mental patient, Francesca Cunningham, who hopes that psychiatrist Dr. Larsen (Herbert Lom) will help her lift the veils of her memory. In a series of flashbacks counterpointed by a lush piano concerto background score, Francesca discovers that she has been a victim of the cruelties of others all her life. Only Nicholas (James Mason), an embittered, crippled musician, has ever shown her any compassion, training the girl to become a top concert pianist. Even he turned on Francesca when she becomes romantically involved with other men, but as the flashbacks end, Francesca arrives at a startling realization about Nicholas's true feelings for her.
The Seventh Veil rang in as the biggest British box-office success of 1946.
The film was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (for Sydney and Muriel Box) that same year.