The Constant Nymph (1938 film)
Encyclopedia
The Constant Nymph is both a 1938 British, black-and-white
live TV drama, and a 1933 British black-and-white
romance film
, directed
by Basil Dean
and starring Victoria Hopper
as Tessa Sanger and Ronald Shiner
. It was produced
by Gaumont-British Picture Corporation
. The film is based on the 1924 novel
The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy
.
, western Austria
. Previously filmed in 1928, the sentimental Margaret Kennedy
novel The Constant Nymph was sumptuously remade by Gaumont-British Picture Corporation
in 1933. Victoria Hopper
plays the title character, a rich, Belgian gamine named Tessa Sanger. The girl falls hopelessly in love with world-famous composer Lewis Dodd (Brian Aherne
), who is so full of himself that he barely acknowledges Tessa's existence. As she looks on in quiet desperation, Dodd marries another woman, his distant cousin Florence (Leonora Corbett
). It takes him nearly the entire picture to realize what a fool he's been, and that Tessa was the one girl for him all along -- but alas, it's too late. The Constant Nymph was remade by Warner Bros. in 1943, at which time all prints of the 1933 version were supposed to be destroyed; happily, they weren't.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
live TV drama, and a 1933 British black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
romance film
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
, directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Basil Dean
Basil Dean
Basil Herbert Dean CBE was an English actor, writer, film producer/director and theatrical producer/director....
and starring Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper was a Canadian-born British stage and film actress and singer.Hopper was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and raised in Dunston, Gateshead, England. She was popular during the 1930s. She was married from August 1934 until 1939 to Basil Dean, a British stage and film...
as Tessa Sanger and Ronald Shiner
Ronald Shiner
Ronald Alfred Shiner was a British stand-up comedian and comedic actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall.-Career:...
. It was produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by Gaumont-British Picture Corporation
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
. The film is based on the 1924 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy
Margaret Kennedy
Margaret Kennedy was an English novelist and playwright.-Family and education:Margaret Kennedy was born in Hyde Park Gate, London, the eldest of the four children of Charles Moore Kennedy , a barrister, and his wife Ellinor Edith Marwood...
.
Synopsis
This romance is set in TyrolTyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, western Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Previously filmed in 1928, the sentimental Margaret Kennedy
Margaret Kennedy
Margaret Kennedy was an English novelist and playwright.-Family and education:Margaret Kennedy was born in Hyde Park Gate, London, the eldest of the four children of Charles Moore Kennedy , a barrister, and his wife Ellinor Edith Marwood...
novel The Constant Nymph was sumptuously remade by Gaumont-British Picture Corporation
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
in 1933. Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper
Victoria Hopper was a Canadian-born British stage and film actress and singer.Hopper was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and raised in Dunston, Gateshead, England. She was popular during the 1930s. She was married from August 1934 until 1939 to Basil Dean, a British stage and film...
plays the title character, a rich, Belgian gamine named Tessa Sanger. The girl falls hopelessly in love with world-famous composer Lewis Dodd (Brian Aherne
Brian Aherne
Brian Aherne was a British actor of both stage and screen, who found success in Hollywood.-Early life and stage career:...
), who is so full of himself that he barely acknowledges Tessa's existence. As she looks on in quiet desperation, Dodd marries another woman, his distant cousin Florence (Leonora Corbett
Leonora Corbett
Leonora Corbett was a British film actress.On leaving school she studied art but later decided that she would prefer the stage. She made her debut at Cambridge and later appeared on the London stage before appearing on the screen, with Love on Wheels her film debut.-Selected filmography:* Love on...
). It takes him nearly the entire picture to realize what a fool he's been, and that Tessa was the one girl for him all along -- but alas, it's too late. The Constant Nymph was remade by Warner Bros. in 1943, at which time all prints of the 1933 version were supposed to be destroyed; happily, they weren't.