Keeping Maureen O'Hara on its payroll throughout the 1940s was one of the smartest things Twentieth Century Fox ever did: She was capable and spirited, and so pretty that it wouldn't have mattered if she couldn't act at all. Here she is in a typically feisty role, a well-to-do London miss who marries badly and becomes victimized by a creepy old streetwoman (Dame Sybil Thorndike). As a melodrama in the "Gaslight" vein with bizarre comedy touches, it's fairly silly, but there's much to savor, especially in the details: an atmospheric backlot set (I think it was actually filmed on 20th's British soundstage), blackmail, puppetry, cackling hags, some tasty dialogue, and one exceedingly odd moment where Dana Andrews invites his ladylove's little brother to bed.
21 Reviews
Rich Woman, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief
wes-connors4 July 2014
While a little girl, beautiful Maureen O'Hara (as Adelaide "Addie" Culver) was fascinated by a seedy section of 19th century London known as "Britannia Mews". Quickly developing into an adult woman, Ms. O'Hara appears enchanted by both the area and her art teacher – British-accented Dana Andrews (as Henry Lambert). A romance develops, but O'Hara's wealthy parents do not approve of O'Hara seeing the artist. He turns out to have a weakness for alcohol and not much money, but Mr. Andrews is expert at making charming and lifelike puppets. Later on, Andrews appears as another character (Gilbert Lauderdale) – he is a similar man, but learns to control his alcohol intake. Both men are involved in an increasingly complicated relationship with O'Hara...
The oddest thing about "The Forbidden Street" is that the first Andrews character's voice is dubbed by another actor. While the voice matches Andrews' lip movements, it sounds like it is coming from another room – via a deep echo chamber. Playing the film on mute during a second viewing reveals Andrews would have made a fine "silent" film actor; it is interesting to study his performance. O'Hara shows some of the same skills...
The cast works very well for director Jean Negulesco, who creates an atmospheric story with fine black and white photography from Georges Perinal. The soundtrack, while good, could have been a little more subtle. The obvious dubbing, perhaps done to differentiate Andrews' two characters, wasn't wise. However, stay tuned as Andrews' voice and the film improve. Also watch for a couple of outstanding supporting performances – from haggish old "sow" Sybil Thorndike (as Mrs. Mounsey) and O'Hara's inquisitive little brother Anthony Tancred (as Treff Culver). The two not only perform exceptionally, they also perfectly illustrate the "opposite sides of the tracks." And, surprise visitor Mary Martlew (as Milly) is quite memorably amusing, in her single scene.
******* The Forbidden Street (Britannia Mews) (3/31/49) Jean Negulesco ~ Maureen O'Hara, Dana Andrews, Sybil Thorndike, Anthony Tancred
The oddest thing about "The Forbidden Street" is that the first Andrews character's voice is dubbed by another actor. While the voice matches Andrews' lip movements, it sounds like it is coming from another room – via a deep echo chamber. Playing the film on mute during a second viewing reveals Andrews would have made a fine "silent" film actor; it is interesting to study his performance. O'Hara shows some of the same skills...
The cast works very well for director Jean Negulesco, who creates an atmospheric story with fine black and white photography from Georges Perinal. The soundtrack, while good, could have been a little more subtle. The obvious dubbing, perhaps done to differentiate Andrews' two characters, wasn't wise. However, stay tuned as Andrews' voice and the film improve. Also watch for a couple of outstanding supporting performances – from haggish old "sow" Sybil Thorndike (as Mrs. Mounsey) and O'Hara's inquisitive little brother Anthony Tancred (as Treff Culver). The two not only perform exceptionally, they also perfectly illustrate the "opposite sides of the tracks." And, surprise visitor Mary Martlew (as Milly) is quite memorably amusing, in her single scene.
******* The Forbidden Street (Britannia Mews) (3/31/49) Jean Negulesco ~ Maureen O'Hara, Dana Andrews, Sybil Thorndike, Anthony Tancred
Amusingly over-plotted melodrama-lite
moonspinner5513 January 2007
Not-bad studio-set drama, also known as "The Forbidden Street", involves miscast Maureen O'Hara (her rolling Irish burr more pronounced than ever) as a wealthy young British woman in Victorian England who marries a penniless art-instructor and moves with him into the slums of London; after an accidental death, O'Hara is blackmailed by the local busybody, but finds redemption in congenial--though already married--Dana Andrews. Neither O'Hara nor Andrews gives a particularly strong performance, but the supporting players are good and the screenplay (by talented Ring Lardner Jr., from a book by Margery Sharp) nicely avoids soap opera and predictability by continually changing its tone and direction. O'Hara's character goes through just as many changes, turning from wide-eyed girl to fed-up housewife to salty broad to society bride! The set designs are impeccable, and the film is well-mounted and paced with a jovial step. *** from ****
Dana Andrews shows versatility in a dual role
BldrGal10 October 1999
A charming film, set in Victorian London, features gorgeous Maureen O'Hara as the daughter of a upper-class businessman, fascinated by the mews behind the family home (and which was forbidden territory to this gently-reared young woman); and Dana Andrews in a dual role...that of a fortune-seeking art teacher turned drunkard, and a decent young man fallen on hard times who proves to be Maureen's eventual savior. Wonderful performances by Wilfred Hyde-White as O'Hara's father, and Dame Sybil Thornedyke as a horrid old woman who blackmails O'Hara's character when she ends up living in those same forbidden mews. There's even a delightful dose of jolly good humor toward the end. One of my all-time favorite movies.
Dame Sybil Thorndike to the Rescue
joe-pearce-124 July 2016
As a ten year old kid, I saw this film in 1949 under its U.S. title THE FORBIDDEN STREET (it was not a title later made up for any kind of re-release on VHS or DVD, although it did come out as BRITANNIA MEWS in the U.K.). We got a big kick out of Mrs. Mounsey (we then thought it was "Mrs. Mousey"), especially when the second Dana Andrews character slaps her around a bit and practically throws her onto what looked like either a stove or dresser, but even then I knew who Dame Sybil Thorndike was, and it appears that some reviewers of this film still don't. All the other performances in the film range from just about okay to pretty good, but Thorndike's old hag is really a showcase, considering how short her role ultimately is. One should be reminded that Thorndike (and not Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Margaret Rutherford, Margaret Leighton, Dorothy Tutin, etc.) was considered the greatest English stage actress of the 20th century from her debut around 1904 and right into the early 1970s, created Shaw's SAINT JOAN after he wrote it for her, did quite literally many hundreds of roles from Shakespeare and Marlowe to Priestly and Williams in the U.K., all over America and, indeed, almost the entire known civilized world of her day (who else can you think of who played Lady Macbeth, Hecuba and one of the sweetly murderous Brewster Sisters in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, or who took shots at Greek drama in Greek and French classical repertoire in French?). She was almost 50 when talkies came in, so she naturally didn't make many films except in older character roles (she was Olivier's mother in PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, but that role was originally Olivier's wife when the play was done with him and Vivien Leigh in London, and this probably remains her best-known film appearance). As for Dana Andrews, they did a good job of dubbing in his voice with one belonging to an English actor, but the voice really didn't go with Andrews' demeanor and character. His second character has the right voice (his own) for that first character. Anyway, the mid-Atlantic type accents heard from O'Hara and Andrews didn't bother me at all, and the fellow playing O'Hara's younger brother, Anthony Tancred, would appear to have had a very short film career, and this is unfortunate, as he is very good in the role and looks something like a taller and classier version of George Cole. Amazingly enough, they get away with turning a pretty morose and near tragic story into almost a comedy by the time the curtain comes down, and that is no mean achievement. Anyway, it was nice to see it again after 67 years and to see that memory can play tricks on one - I seemed to recall that the second Andrews character threw Mrs. Mounsey down the stairs, but he didn't. Good thing, too; that's no way to treat Dame Sybil Thorndike. Aside: Thorndike was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1931, but her husband, equally proficient actor and incredibly proficient stage director Lewis Casson, wasn't knighted until almost two decades later. She was delighted because now she could be legitimately called either "Dame Sybil" or "Lady Casson".
odd but enjoyable
blanche-221 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Dana Andrews and Maureen O'Hara star in "Affairs of Adelaide," also known as "Forbidden Street," a 1949 film directed by Jean Negulesco. Andrews has a dual role, sort of - he plays a drunken artist/teacher, Henry Lambert, who teaches a young woman, Adelaide (O'Hara) and her cousin. O'Hara falls for Lambert, and when her family announces that they are moving to the country, she declares her love for Lambert, and the two marry. They move to Lambert's digs in Brittania Mews, a slum-like part of the city. It's not a happy marriage. One day, they have a fight while Lambert is soused, and Adelaide pushes him out of the way. As he's intoxicated, he loses his balance and falls down the stairs of their apartment.
Adelaide hopes to return to her family, but an old lady (Sybil Thorndike) who saw the event convinces the police that it was an accident and then blackmails Adelaide, refusing to let her leave the Mews. About two years later, Adelaide meets a man, Gilbert Lauderdale (Andrews) who looks exactly like her late husband.
I say that Andrews has sort of a double role because his voice as Henry Lambert was dubbed by someone with a lower voice and a British accent. When he shows up as Lauderdale, he makes an attempt at a British accent but doesn't hold onto it.
This is an interesting film, almost like two different films. Once Lauderdale shows up, the film becomes less dark and heads in a romantic direction.
Fascinating set, satisfying story, enjoyable.
Adelaide hopes to return to her family, but an old lady (Sybil Thorndike) who saw the event convinces the police that it was an accident and then blackmails Adelaide, refusing to let her leave the Mews. About two years later, Adelaide meets a man, Gilbert Lauderdale (Andrews) who looks exactly like her late husband.
I say that Andrews has sort of a double role because his voice as Henry Lambert was dubbed by someone with a lower voice and a British accent. When he shows up as Lauderdale, he makes an attempt at a British accent but doesn't hold onto it.
This is an interesting film, almost like two different films. Once Lauderdale shows up, the film becomes less dark and heads in a romantic direction.
Fascinating set, satisfying story, enjoyable.
Never a Rose Without the Thorn.
rmax30482325 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Maureen O'Hara, the protagonist, was unique. She wasn't a staggering beauty like Gene Tierney, and not a bravura actress, but she was still magnetic on screen. Maybe to fully appreciate Maureen Fitzsimmons, you have to assess her as a gestalt, an entire package. She was innocently delicious in black and white, and in technicolor throw-aways her hair was the lustrous color of coquelicots. She narrates part of this movie and her voice has an earnest, lyrical that lilt sounds like something you might find at the end of the rainbow. She never showed much interest in being a great movie star or an exceptionally skilled "actress". With those attributes alone she deserves attention. But more than that, she was earthy and sassy, and called all kinds of posturing phony. Who else, when criticized by the authoritarian John Ford while filming "The Quiet Man," would shout back at him, "What does a bald-headed old SOB like you know about having your hair blown in your face?" That's sass.
It's the late 1800s. O'Hara is the well-bred daughter of two stuffy parents and lives in a large house whose rear window opens on a squalid street Brittania Mews, which would be quite a classy name in, say, Bakersfield, California. You can tell THIS street is infra dig because you hear the music of a hurdy gurdy and a tinkling piano. O'Hara is forbidden to visit the street because it's filthy and the people are poor and nasty. Still, she's drawn to it. And you can see why. It may be all brick and wrought iron stairways and louche taverns and Dollar Stores but it's colorful and the residents are vibrant with hatred. O'Hara is courted by her art teacher, Dana Andrews, dubbed and so bearded and bushy haired that he's barely recognizable. But her parents reject the notion of marriage because he's frankly too poor, artist or not. She manages to marry him anyway and lives happily on a small stash of her own with him in Brittania Mews. And her family remains estranged.
That is, until he begins to turn down commissions in order to paint what he likes and play with his beloved marionettes. He gets regularly boozed up too, and it develops that he's had previous liaisons. One night, drunk as usual, he admits to having had multiple affairs -- but not with all the women he's been accused of having had as lovers. "Some of them were too repulsive." And then -- the worst words a wife can hear. He doesn't love her. He never did. He courted her because he didn't want to lose the fees from a client. His protestations of love had all been a rich buffet of bullshite. So saying, he falls down the stairs and breaks his neck.
Then the story gets a little weird. An ugly old lady called "the Sow" accuses O'Hara of murder and blackmails her. I kind of like the Sow. She's a fat old witch straight out of Dickens. And then, miraculously, so to speak, a drunk is thrown out of the Red Lion Tavern (not the one downstairs in Greenwich Village) and he looks just like a shaven Dana Andrews, which in fact he is. This incarnation of Andrews is poor but honest. O'Hara, mystified, allows him to sleep in the coach room. Soon he reveals that he is a barrister and puts an end to the Sow's blackmail. He also shows an eerie fascination with Andrew 1.0's collection of puppets. He buffs and restores them, takes lessons in puppeteering, and soon has them dancing around. He and O'Hara find an angel and open a puppet theater in Brittania Mews, staging fairy tales and plays by Moliere, and bringing new life to the crummy alley. The bawdy house piano is now practicing Chopin. It's a roaring success. Of course, by this time the duo are in love, but Andrews 2.0 must still sleep in the coach room because he's married to a wife long gone to America.
The experienced viewer knows that with ten minutes to go, this happiness can't last. And it doesn't. The puppet theater has gained international notice and the original wife of Andrews 2.0 returns from America to cash in on the deal, revealing that she divorced Andrews while she was in Milwaukee. Andrews explains that everything belongs to O'Hara and that he owns nothing. Exit Mrs. Dana Andrews 2.0. It isn't long before O'Hara's family reconciles with the pair. Andrews and O'Hara are promptly married and, boys and girls, they lived happily ever after.
I rather enjoyed it as light entertainment. It's a riches to rags to riches story and a familiar format indeed. But the script has some cute dialog, the acting isn't intolerable, O'Hara shines, and Brittania Mews is enthralling.
It's the late 1800s. O'Hara is the well-bred daughter of two stuffy parents and lives in a large house whose rear window opens on a squalid street Brittania Mews, which would be quite a classy name in, say, Bakersfield, California. You can tell THIS street is infra dig because you hear the music of a hurdy gurdy and a tinkling piano. O'Hara is forbidden to visit the street because it's filthy and the people are poor and nasty. Still, she's drawn to it. And you can see why. It may be all brick and wrought iron stairways and louche taverns and Dollar Stores but it's colorful and the residents are vibrant with hatred. O'Hara is courted by her art teacher, Dana Andrews, dubbed and so bearded and bushy haired that he's barely recognizable. But her parents reject the notion of marriage because he's frankly too poor, artist or not. She manages to marry him anyway and lives happily on a small stash of her own with him in Brittania Mews. And her family remains estranged.
That is, until he begins to turn down commissions in order to paint what he likes and play with his beloved marionettes. He gets regularly boozed up too, and it develops that he's had previous liaisons. One night, drunk as usual, he admits to having had multiple affairs -- but not with all the women he's been accused of having had as lovers. "Some of them were too repulsive." And then -- the worst words a wife can hear. He doesn't love her. He never did. He courted her because he didn't want to lose the fees from a client. His protestations of love had all been a rich buffet of bullshite. So saying, he falls down the stairs and breaks his neck.
Then the story gets a little weird. An ugly old lady called "the Sow" accuses O'Hara of murder and blackmails her. I kind of like the Sow. She's a fat old witch straight out of Dickens. And then, miraculously, so to speak, a drunk is thrown out of the Red Lion Tavern (not the one downstairs in Greenwich Village) and he looks just like a shaven Dana Andrews, which in fact he is. This incarnation of Andrews is poor but honest. O'Hara, mystified, allows him to sleep in the coach room. Soon he reveals that he is a barrister and puts an end to the Sow's blackmail. He also shows an eerie fascination with Andrew 1.0's collection of puppets. He buffs and restores them, takes lessons in puppeteering, and soon has them dancing around. He and O'Hara find an angel and open a puppet theater in Brittania Mews, staging fairy tales and plays by Moliere, and bringing new life to the crummy alley. The bawdy house piano is now practicing Chopin. It's a roaring success. Of course, by this time the duo are in love, but Andrews 2.0 must still sleep in the coach room because he's married to a wife long gone to America.
The experienced viewer knows that with ten minutes to go, this happiness can't last. And it doesn't. The puppet theater has gained international notice and the original wife of Andrews 2.0 returns from America to cash in on the deal, revealing that she divorced Andrews while she was in Milwaukee. Andrews explains that everything belongs to O'Hara and that he owns nothing. Exit Mrs. Dana Andrews 2.0. It isn't long before O'Hara's family reconciles with the pair. Andrews and O'Hara are promptly married and, boys and girls, they lived happily ever after.
I rather enjoyed it as light entertainment. It's a riches to rags to riches story and a familiar format indeed. But the script has some cute dialog, the acting isn't intolerable, O'Hara shines, and Brittania Mews is enthralling.
Wouldn't you throw everything away for Dana Andrews?
HotToastyRag21 April 2018
I was a bit predisposed to like this movie, since I have a big crush on Dana Andrews. If you actively dislike him, you should stick to Jamaica Inn or Sentimental Journey instead. In The Forbidden Street, he plays a wildly attractive artist who comes from the wrong side of the tracks but captures proper Maureen O'Hara's heart anyway. See why I liked it?
Maureen's family disapproves of Dana, and not just because he's poor. He literally lives in the slums, which are visible from Maureen's window. She knows how terrible "the forbidden street" is, but since it's Dana Andrews, she throws everything away and moves to the slums after they're married. As she soon finds out, having a handsome hubby doesn't make everything perfect. Her neighbors hate her, she's estranged from her parents, Dana treats her badly, and they're running out of money. What's a wife to do?
Well, you'll have to watch the movie to find out what happens-and it's extremely exciting! While I wish there were a bit more twists and turns to the plot, overall it's an entertaining movie. The ending will definitely make you think. I'm still talking about my interpretation days later!
Maureen's family disapproves of Dana, and not just because he's poor. He literally lives in the slums, which are visible from Maureen's window. She knows how terrible "the forbidden street" is, but since it's Dana Andrews, she throws everything away and moves to the slums after they're married. As she soon finds out, having a handsome hubby doesn't make everything perfect. Her neighbors hate her, she's estranged from her parents, Dana treats her badly, and they're running out of money. What's a wife to do?
Well, you'll have to watch the movie to find out what happens-and it's extremely exciting! While I wish there were a bit more twists and turns to the plot, overall it's an entertaining movie. The ending will definitely make you think. I'm still talking about my interpretation days later!
How the dire commitment into hazardous trial and error is ultimately and surprisingly rewarded
clanciai10 September 2016
What a wonderful film this is! It is difficult to catalogue all its vast variations of deserts, with sudden turn of events and charming details constantly renewing and refreshing the story, which is like a Dickens novel. Maureen O'Hara is always good but here better than ever, while Dana Andrews takes you by surprise with this virtuoso performance totally out of his ordinary style, vying in charm with Robert Donat; while the prize goes to Sybil Thorndike, who makes a really frightening witch with more than one bag of evil up her sleeve, which she uses with calculation and effective impact.
It's really an environmental film depicting a slum area with exciting intrigue and characters and fascinating idylls of the gutter. It's related with another environmental London film of the same time, "London Belongs to Me" with equally convincing documentary rendering of local life in London town, but here the events take place long before the turn of the century - Bernard Shaw is mentioned as a rising star in the beginning of his career.
The miracle of the story is how a tragedy is turned to its opposite. A failed painter leaves behind the result of his secret hobby work, making puppets, and these turn out to be his real masterpiece. A really hopeless tragedy of bleak dreariness with no way out is miraculously turned into comedy by his puppets coming alive. The process of this U-turn of fate is completely natural, and a tragedy of human decay, failure, alcoholism and dishonour is suddenly reversed into a cheerful comedy - the real comedian is Maureen O'Hara's helpful brother, who understands things his own way.
The end of it is how the dreadfully sultry slum turns into a wonderland of idylls and charm in spite of all, and there, ultimately, after all the heartbreaks, the heart nevertheless will remain.
(I wrote this review previously, but it was apparently lost in a power cut. Maybe it can be retrieved. If not, here is what I could do to recreate it.)
It's really an environmental film depicting a slum area with exciting intrigue and characters and fascinating idylls of the gutter. It's related with another environmental London film of the same time, "London Belongs to Me" with equally convincing documentary rendering of local life in London town, but here the events take place long before the turn of the century - Bernard Shaw is mentioned as a rising star in the beginning of his career.
The miracle of the story is how a tragedy is turned to its opposite. A failed painter leaves behind the result of his secret hobby work, making puppets, and these turn out to be his real masterpiece. A really hopeless tragedy of bleak dreariness with no way out is miraculously turned into comedy by his puppets coming alive. The process of this U-turn of fate is completely natural, and a tragedy of human decay, failure, alcoholism and dishonour is suddenly reversed into a cheerful comedy - the real comedian is Maureen O'Hara's helpful brother, who understands things his own way.
The end of it is how the dreadfully sultry slum turns into a wonderland of idylls and charm in spite of all, and there, ultimately, after all the heartbreaks, the heart nevertheless will remain.
(I wrote this review previously, but it was apparently lost in a power cut. Maybe it can be retrieved. If not, here is what I could do to recreate it.)
The type of movie that frequently has your eyes bulging out.
mark.waltz4 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Starting off slowly and moving to a boil, this movie quickly cools and sadly never regains momentum. But for those middle of the movie moments, this is like a volcano that suddenly burps and dies. With the gorgeous Maureen O'Hara, you'd think it's her, but the honors of making this rise up is the unrecognizable Dame Sybil Thorndike who, complete with wart and mustache, becomes as close to a Dickens character in a non Dickens character. She's a vicious blackmailer, seemingly just around the corner from death, but being the daughter of Satan plaguing the London slums, she's the type of character that you could see living forever.
O'Hara is completely ladylike member of the upper middle class (not quite rich, buy mighty close...) who falls for a sophisticated but poor artist (the unrecognizable Dana Andrews) who secretly drinks and turns her marriage into a nightmare. Thorndike, stalking O'Hara and Andrews, witnesses what appears to be his accidental death, and viciously manipulates O'Hara into a payoff. Along comes a promising puppeteer (also Andrews!) who gets the pleasure of dealing with this vicious hag. That's where this loses steam, going from hag to sag within just a very short time.
This had so much potential for becoming a classic Gothic thriller, with Thorndike as unforgettable as Martita Hunt in the recent "Great Expectations", but changes to the direction don't really help sustain complete interest. This is gorgeous to look at with upper middle class homes and the peasant setting stark contrasts to each other yet both stunning to look at. Wilfred Hyde White is commanding as O'Hara's father, and the rest of the ensemble seems perfectly suited to the period. Had I been an Academy voter in 1949, I would have pushed Thorndike for Best Supporting Actress, one of the great movie villainesses I've seen in a long time.
O'Hara is completely ladylike member of the upper middle class (not quite rich, buy mighty close...) who falls for a sophisticated but poor artist (the unrecognizable Dana Andrews) who secretly drinks and turns her marriage into a nightmare. Thorndike, stalking O'Hara and Andrews, witnesses what appears to be his accidental death, and viciously manipulates O'Hara into a payoff. Along comes a promising puppeteer (also Andrews!) who gets the pleasure of dealing with this vicious hag. That's where this loses steam, going from hag to sag within just a very short time.
This had so much potential for becoming a classic Gothic thriller, with Thorndike as unforgettable as Martita Hunt in the recent "Great Expectations", but changes to the direction don't really help sustain complete interest. This is gorgeous to look at with upper middle class homes and the peasant setting stark contrasts to each other yet both stunning to look at. Wilfred Hyde White is commanding as O'Hara's father, and the rest of the ensemble seems perfectly suited to the period. Had I been an Academy voter in 1949, I would have pushed Thorndike for Best Supporting Actress, one of the great movie villainesses I've seen in a long time.
Get a load of Dana Andrews' voice...and the very bad writing.
planktonrules7 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
When Dana Andrews appeared on the screen, I was shocked. Shocked because out of his mouth came the strangest British voice--strange because it obviously was dubbed! The voice and the face just don't go together at all! And, combined with the bohemian hair and goatee, he's definitely an actor out of his element!!
Maureen O'Hara plays the title character. She is a lower upper-class girl whose home overlooks the Mews--a stretch of slum apartments surrounding the stables. She falls in love (or, it's more like a girlish infatuation) with an artist (Andrews) and runs off with him. Her parents are angered, as he is from the lower class--so they cut her off. O'Hara assumes they'll live off love and be content, but that doesn't last long. Andrews drinks and has little ambition--and soon the marriage is all but over. When they argue one day, he falls off the stairs to his death--and a neighbor (a decrepit old crow) sees it and blackmails her. This is an interesting twist, but also made no sense, as the police almost certainly would not have believed the blackmailer and O'Hara was a lady. But, despite this and no evidence it was anything other than an accident (which it was), she pays the old bat and is forced to stay in the Mews--and she's being bled dry in the process.
Later in the film, a really, really goofy thing occurs--a 10 on a goofiness scale. Dana Andrews appears once again--but he's playing a different character! This one looks like the traditional Andrews and it is really his voice--along with a somewhat British accent...somewhat. This Andrews is an out of luck actor who drinks. He asks her what she bothers to stay in this dump--a wonderful and very insightful question! He soon helps her rid herself of the blackmailer--using something she lacks--common sense! Soon, the pair begin cohabiting--him assuming the role of her new husband (though the film is cagey about whether or not they sleep together--it seems they probably and inexplicably did not).
One of the first things Andrews #2 does is discovers the dead husband's project--a set of beautiful puppets (which, by the way, O'Hara hated and discouraged Andrews #1 from making). He suddenly shows a lot of ambition and sobriety--and learns to be an expert puppeteer. As a result of his new fame, the two are able to have a nice life due to his great success. And, in the process, the Mews is transformed into a far less crappy neighborhood. Some time later, when O'Hara sees her brother, she pretends (why?!?!) that Andrews #2 is Andrews #1...whatever. Will the ruse be discovered? Will anyone care?
This film features the horrible cliché of identical strangers as well as no reasonable reason for O'Hara remaining in the Mews and paying blackmail. When a story relies on a character behaving this stupidly, it's a bad film unless it is supposed to be a comedy--and this was no comedy (aside from Andrews' dubbed voice...THAT was funny!). Despite good acting and some nice Twentieth-Century Fox polish, the film really was a silly and convoluted mess because the script was often dumb.
Maureen O'Hara plays the title character. She is a lower upper-class girl whose home overlooks the Mews--a stretch of slum apartments surrounding the stables. She falls in love (or, it's more like a girlish infatuation) with an artist (Andrews) and runs off with him. Her parents are angered, as he is from the lower class--so they cut her off. O'Hara assumes they'll live off love and be content, but that doesn't last long. Andrews drinks and has little ambition--and soon the marriage is all but over. When they argue one day, he falls off the stairs to his death--and a neighbor (a decrepit old crow) sees it and blackmails her. This is an interesting twist, but also made no sense, as the police almost certainly would not have believed the blackmailer and O'Hara was a lady. But, despite this and no evidence it was anything other than an accident (which it was), she pays the old bat and is forced to stay in the Mews--and she's being bled dry in the process.
Later in the film, a really, really goofy thing occurs--a 10 on a goofiness scale. Dana Andrews appears once again--but he's playing a different character! This one looks like the traditional Andrews and it is really his voice--along with a somewhat British accent...somewhat. This Andrews is an out of luck actor who drinks. He asks her what she bothers to stay in this dump--a wonderful and very insightful question! He soon helps her rid herself of the blackmailer--using something she lacks--common sense! Soon, the pair begin cohabiting--him assuming the role of her new husband (though the film is cagey about whether or not they sleep together--it seems they probably and inexplicably did not).
One of the first things Andrews #2 does is discovers the dead husband's project--a set of beautiful puppets (which, by the way, O'Hara hated and discouraged Andrews #1 from making). He suddenly shows a lot of ambition and sobriety--and learns to be an expert puppeteer. As a result of his new fame, the two are able to have a nice life due to his great success. And, in the process, the Mews is transformed into a far less crappy neighborhood. Some time later, when O'Hara sees her brother, she pretends (why?!?!) that Andrews #2 is Andrews #1...whatever. Will the ruse be discovered? Will anyone care?
This film features the horrible cliché of identical strangers as well as no reasonable reason for O'Hara remaining in the Mews and paying blackmail. When a story relies on a character behaving this stupidly, it's a bad film unless it is supposed to be a comedy--and this was no comedy (aside from Andrews' dubbed voice...THAT was funny!). Despite good acting and some nice Twentieth-Century Fox polish, the film really was a silly and convoluted mess because the script was often dumb.
Excellent example of "older" movies
beverly-pirkle13 December 2004
This was one of my favorite Maureen O'Hara movies (after "The Quiet Man", of course) which I haven't been able to see for many years. I continue to check the DVD status, but continue to be disappointed. Previous comments have told the story-line, so I won't attempt it except to say that it covers the entire gamut of emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, despair, resignation to circumstances, hope--back to happiness.
I hope the "Powers that be" read these comments and release this movie in at least video version if DVD isn't possible. With all the garbage I see being put out on DVD, it amazes me that the better older black and white movies are so overlooked. There are several for which I keep looking and hoping to see available.
I hope the "Powers that be" read these comments and release this movie in at least video version if DVD isn't possible. With all the garbage I see being put out on DVD, it amazes me that the better older black and white movies are so overlooked. There are several for which I keep looking and hoping to see available.
The Forbidden Street review
JoeytheBrit28 April 2020
A British movie that feels strangely like an American one set in Britain thanks to its largely set-bound story and American stars. Dana Andrews tackles two roles, one of which saddles him with an unconvincing Van Dyke beard and an unidentified, badly dubbed British voice actor, but nevertheless manages to give a good account of himself. The plot is uneven, however, gaining momentum when heroine O'Hara finds herself blackmailed by scabby Sybil Thorndike only to tail off once good-guy Andrews shows up.
The Forbidden Street.-Brittania Mews-Avoid;Needs Urban Renewal *1/2
edwagreen16 August 2007
Dreadful film.
Dana Andrews takes a double role here. In his first part, he tries to do an imitation of Ronald Colman. Where did he ever dream up that accent? It was awful. This was Dana's biggest bomb in pictures. Even in 1945's "State Fair," he was far superior here.
The best performance by far here is by Dame Sybil Thorndike as a nasty woman who blackmails Maureen O'Hara, when hubby Andrews takes a fatal flop down the staircase. Had the picture kept up with the blackmailing, it would have been far superior. Instead, it jumps to 3 years later when from out of the blue, Andrews reappears as a look alike to the fallen husband. He quickly chases the old bat Thorndike away; takes up with O'Hara but sleeps separately from her because he is already married. Nice morals are displayed here.
Having found the dead husband's puppets, Dana #2 and Maureen soon go into the puppetry business and because of it, Brittania Mews, a slum for all seasons, soon becomes a different environment. Isn't this just ducky?
In showing the slum area, the set decorations are even worse than you expect.
This misery lasts for 1:37. Too much to handle.
Dana Andrews takes a double role here. In his first part, he tries to do an imitation of Ronald Colman. Where did he ever dream up that accent? It was awful. This was Dana's biggest bomb in pictures. Even in 1945's "State Fair," he was far superior here.
The best performance by far here is by Dame Sybil Thorndike as a nasty woman who blackmails Maureen O'Hara, when hubby Andrews takes a fatal flop down the staircase. Had the picture kept up with the blackmailing, it would have been far superior. Instead, it jumps to 3 years later when from out of the blue, Andrews reappears as a look alike to the fallen husband. He quickly chases the old bat Thorndike away; takes up with O'Hara but sleeps separately from her because he is already married. Nice morals are displayed here.
Having found the dead husband's puppets, Dana #2 and Maureen soon go into the puppetry business and because of it, Brittania Mews, a slum for all seasons, soon becomes a different environment. Isn't this just ducky?
In showing the slum area, the set decorations are even worse than you expect.
This misery lasts for 1:37. Too much to handle.
A rare chestnut wish would come back in print!
pcronin29 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILER This film is a little bit hard to get hold of nowadays, but very worth the watch and purchase. Please rally to get it redistributed. Maureen O'Hara is Adelaide Culver, an upper class Londoner from a very respectable victorian household who is taking art lessons inhome from impassioned impoverished artist Herbert Lambert(Dana Andrews)who resides in a lively ghetto of ne'er do-wells behind the genteel rowhouses whence her family resides. She immediately falls in love with him and decides against her parents and siblings protests to be his wife and live with him there, mostly for worse. He warns her that he is a drunk, but she will not listen. He proves to drink too much and work too little, and her trust fund is dwindling. She says he must go back to giving art lessons which he abhorred and he refuses. He is drunk and tumbles to his death down the long steep stair. A crowd immediately arrives and the constable begins questions. Mrs Mounsey(Dame Sybil Thorndike)across the way declares she saw the whole thing, and that it was an accidental death. She then forces her friendship upon Adelaide, begging and insisting into an odd relationship based on blackmail. To the rescue comes Gilbert Lauderdale(also Dana Andrews), a good natured mailroom clerk and barrister who tells Mounsey to get lost or else. Among is a wonderful Moliere puppet show featuring the noble French marionettes Herbert had created as a dreamy eyed college student in Paris, which he gave up on but were resurrected after his tragic demise. The parents have bought a country estate in the Cotswolds and brother Treff from Oxford sees the show and loves it. Upon discovering it has been put on by sis he lets her know she's been missing all these years and is welcome home. She goes to her parents with Gilbert and they welcome him into the family to a happy ending.
Good, Though Far Fetched
ldeangelis-757086 February 2023
You have to extend credibility with this one, but it's entertaining, nonetheless. It takes place in the 19thc, with Maureen O'Hara playing upper class Adelaide Culver, who makes the mistake of marrying her drawing tutor, Henry Lambert, (Dana Andrews) who married her for her money, drinks too much and wastes his artistic talent making marionettes that he does nothing with. They live in Brittania Mews, a place that's always held a fascination for Adelaide. Soon, Adelaide's a widow, being blackmailed by her neighbor, Mrs. Mounsey (Sybil Thorndyke) and rescued by Gilbert Lauderdale, who's the image of her late husband (Dana Andrews in a dual role).
The movie has its comic as well as dramatic moments, mostly involving Adelaide's younger brother, Treff (Anthony Tancred).
Not the greatest film, but far from the worst.
The movie has its comic as well as dramatic moments, mostly involving Adelaide's younger brother, Treff (Anthony Tancred).
Not the greatest film, but far from the worst.
The mews have been the ruin of many poor girls ....
ulicknormanowen7 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Very strange melodrama in which Dana Andrews plays two parts; the fact that artist Lambert should disappear halfway through the movie may have disconcerted the viewers ;his reappearance as the spitting image of the departed husband may have puzzled them ,and it challenges the probability : but it's the rule of melodrama. Let's add that Andrews is more handsome without a beard.
O'Hara ,as beautiful as ever, only plays one role ,but she's actually two women : the daughter of a well-to-do family , a romantic fool who does not heed her mom's wise warnings :"stay away from Brittania Mews. Stick with your kind",then a prodigal daughter whose foolish pride leads her into the dregs of society ; O Hara is perhaps too gorgeous in her fall from grace when she is blackmailed by a horrible shrew called "the sow" ; poverty and filth do not seem to affect her beauty.
Oddly ,it's the puppets her husband loved but which she despised which will help her on her way to redemption : funny how the shows borrow from the French culture: Molière 's "Tartuffe " and Perrault's "Sleeping Beauty" .
You will love the last scene when Andrews gets back to his love's bed,cocky a snook at the well-meaning society.
Her story is told in voice over by O'Hara.
O'Hara ,as beautiful as ever, only plays one role ,but she's actually two women : the daughter of a well-to-do family , a romantic fool who does not heed her mom's wise warnings :"stay away from Brittania Mews. Stick with your kind",then a prodigal daughter whose foolish pride leads her into the dregs of society ; O Hara is perhaps too gorgeous in her fall from grace when she is blackmailed by a horrible shrew called "the sow" ; poverty and filth do not seem to affect her beauty.
Oddly ,it's the puppets her husband loved but which she despised which will help her on her way to redemption : funny how the shows borrow from the French culture: Molière 's "Tartuffe " and Perrault's "Sleeping Beauty" .
You will love the last scene when Andrews gets back to his love's bed,cocky a snook at the well-meaning society.
Her story is told in voice over by O'Hara.
Pleasant surprise in this one. With the b/w pallet of Scrooge
PatrynXX24 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Rather dark overtones in this b/w movie. The dual role was what was unique about this. I was thinking this would be some odd depressing movie and it really isn't. I must say the touch of humor in the movie is quite the laugh. Especially towards the end with the brother remembering about snoring.. As a Maureen O'Hara movie she's simply Maureen as always.
Quality: 8/10 Entertainment: 6/10 Re-Playable: 6/10
Quality: 8/10 Entertainment: 6/10 Re-Playable: 6/10
Corrections
John_B_Beck9 August 2004
Dana Andrews first character in the movie was as 'Henry Lambert' not 'Herbert Lambert' and he didn't fall out a window - he fell down the stairs. I watched this movie today on Fox and I liked it - I didn't think that I would at first. This movie was also titled: "Affairs of Adelaide" and "The Forbidden Street". The story was a from a book by Margery Sharp entitled: "Britannia Mews". She also wrote the books from which the animated features "The Rescuers" (1977) and "The Rescuers Down Under" (1990) were drawn. I would buy this movie (The Forbidden Street/Britannia Mews/Affairs of Adelaide) if it were to come out on DVD. This is the first time I have commented on a movie in such a way.
A Forgotten Great Dame
theowinthrop29 May 2004
This film has not appeared on television since the 1970s, when it appeared as "Forbidden Street". It is a little film with some melodrama in it regarding the death of Dana Andrews' first character (who falls out of a window) and the blackmail of Maureen O'Hara by Sybil Thorndike, but it is really of interest in the second half when Andrews (in his second role) uses a set of hand carved puppets to change this street in the slums into a thriving middle class neighborhood. An odd way to prosperity, but interesting nonetheless.
Sybil Thorndike was a remarkable actress, whose film career is not as strong as the other actors and actresses of her generation who reached stardom. Her performances on film go back to the silent films (of England), but in sound films she appeared in good cameo parts, but she never had a set of critically acclaimed leading roles like Olivier, Richardson, Redgrave, Coward, Guilgud, Evans, Ashcroft, or Rutherford. Ashcroft and Rutherford also had supporting roles in film too but both actresses had "Oscars" to show for these, as did Olivier, Guilgud, and even Coward. Yet Thorndike did get recognition for her acting with a title as "Dame" Sybil Thorndike (like "Dame" Edith Evans, and "Dame" Peggy Ashcroft). Today, to catch her performances, one has to see her in MAJOR BARBARA as the Salvation Army General or in THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL as the Queen Mother (Lawrence Olivier's mother-in-law). Both roles certainly give you an idea of her range as an actress in comedy, but FORBIDDEN STREET shows how she was in a dramatic role - as a elderly hag who blackmails Maureen O'Hara into tolerating her continuous presence, and who actually just wanted O'Hara to love her as a mother (or so she claims). It is an odd role, and she handles it with great ability. One wishes that sound had existed in the films of her youth (the silent period). At that time Thorndike played the role of Ophelia opposite John Barrymore's Hamlet. It would have been worth seeing. Let us hope that FORBIDDEN STREET is released again on dvd or video, so we can see Dame Sybil in a dramatic part again.
Sybil Thorndike was a remarkable actress, whose film career is not as strong as the other actors and actresses of her generation who reached stardom. Her performances on film go back to the silent films (of England), but in sound films she appeared in good cameo parts, but she never had a set of critically acclaimed leading roles like Olivier, Richardson, Redgrave, Coward, Guilgud, Evans, Ashcroft, or Rutherford. Ashcroft and Rutherford also had supporting roles in film too but both actresses had "Oscars" to show for these, as did Olivier, Guilgud, and even Coward. Yet Thorndike did get recognition for her acting with a title as "Dame" Sybil Thorndike (like "Dame" Edith Evans, and "Dame" Peggy Ashcroft). Today, to catch her performances, one has to see her in MAJOR BARBARA as the Salvation Army General or in THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL as the Queen Mother (Lawrence Olivier's mother-in-law). Both roles certainly give you an idea of her range as an actress in comedy, but FORBIDDEN STREET shows how she was in a dramatic role - as a elderly hag who blackmails Maureen O'Hara into tolerating her continuous presence, and who actually just wanted O'Hara to love her as a mother (or so she claims). It is an odd role, and she handles it with great ability. One wishes that sound had existed in the films of her youth (the silent period). At that time Thorndike played the role of Ophelia opposite John Barrymore's Hamlet. It would have been worth seeing. Let us hope that FORBIDDEN STREET is released again on dvd or video, so we can see Dame Sybil in a dramatic part again.
The Forbidden Street
CinemaSerf4 January 2023
Maureen O'Hara is a young girl who lives a well-to-do existence with her family until she takes a shine to her art teacher "Lambert" (Dana Andrews). Their relationship doesn't impress her family, but they press on anyway, set up on their own before, fairly soon, she rues the day. He turns out to be a bit of a lush. When an accident befalls him, she finds herself the subject of a pernicious blackmailing from an elderly neighbour - "Mrs. Mousey" (Dame Sybil Thorndyke) and her miserable life looks pretty set. Until, that is, another man enters her life - a man who bears a startling resemblance to her husband, and... It's quite a well paced story, this. Jean Negulesco keeps the story engaging without descending into melodrama, and Thorndyke is excellent as the avaricious old woman. The production detail is fine - the costumes and scenarios are decent enough, but the score - it really is weak, seemingly determined to slow the film down. There is some chemistry between O'Hara and Andrews that makes this just a little better than a routine costume drama and worth 90 minutes.
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