For the romance comic book story, see The Farmer's Wife (comics)

The Farmer's Wife (comics)

"The Farmer's Wife" is an 8-page comic book story by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby published in their genre-launching romance comic book, Young Romance in 1947. The story tells of a young nurse and her marriage to a farmer fifteen years her senior...

The Farmer’s Wife (1928

1928 in film

-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...

) is a silent film

Silent film

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...

, directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...

.

It was based on a play of the same name by British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 novelist, poet and playwright Eden Phillpotts

Eden Phillpotts

Eden Phillpotts was an English author, poet and dramatist. He was born in India, educated in Plymouth, Devon, and worked as an insurance officer for 10 years before studying for the stage and eventually becoming a writer....

, best known for a series of novels based on Dartmoor

Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...

, in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

.

Synopsis

Tibby, the wife of Samuel Sweetland (Jameson Thomas

Jameson Thomas

Jameson Thomas was an English film actor. He appeared in 82 films between 1923 and 1939.He was born in London and died in Sierra Madre, California, it is said from Tuberculosis....

) dies, and shortly afterwards his daughter marries and leaves home, leaving him on his own with his two servants. His wife had told him that he should remarry after her death, so he pursues some local spinsters who were at his daughter's wedding after he and his housekeeper Minta (Lillian Hall-Davis

Lillian Hall-Davis

Lillian Hall-Davis was a British actress during the silent era.The daughter of a London taxi driver, her films included a part-color version of I Pagliacci , The Passionate Adventure , Quo Vadis , Blighty , The Ring and The Farmer's Wife , the latter two both directed by Alfred Hitchcock...

) make out a list of possibles.

First is widow Louisa Windeatt, but she is too independent. Next comes Thirza Tapper, a confirmed spinster and nervous wreck who almost collapses when he proposes to her. She too rejects him. He wanders outside as other guests arrive for her party. His servant Ash is helping at the party and Ash steals the scene here as a bolshy butler wearing an ill fitting coat and trying to keep his trousers up while doing his buttling work at the party.

While the others are outside listening to some glee singers, Samuel proposes to Mary Hearn, but she rejects him as too old, but then goes into hysterics when he angrily tells her some home truths about being mutton dressed as lamb.

Later he leaves Minta to try number four, Mercy Bassett, a barmaid at a local inn. After he leaves we get to see that Minta is in love with him. Bassett rejects him too and he comes home dejectedly. Meanwhile postmistress Hearn and Tapper compare notes and Hearn decides she should marry him after all and she goes to his house with Tapper.

Having run through the women who have turned him down, Samuel sees Minta for the first time as more than a housekeeper and decides that she is the woman for him, if she'll have him. He tells her he has got used to being rejected and will not be angry if she rejects him too. She accepts him and he tells her to put on the dress Tibby gave her. As she goes to the room, Hearn and Tapper arrive. Hearn says she is now willing to be his wife. Samuel says all should drink a toast to his wife to be and Hearn is sure it is her till Minta comes down the stairs in an attractive dress. Hearn lapses into hysterics as the couple get together.

Production

The supporting cast includes Gordon Harker

Gordon Harker

Gordon Harker was an English film actor. He appeared in 68 films between 1921 and 1959, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock and a cameo appearance in Elstree Calling , a revue film co-directed by Hitchcock...

, in a comic role as a surly servant called Churdles Ash; Gibb McLaughlin

Gibb McLaughlin

Gibb McLaughlin was an English film actor. He appeared in 118 films between 1921 and 1959. He was born in Sunderland, England and died in London, England.-Selected filmography:* The Road to London...

 as Henry Coaker; and Maud Gill as Thirza Tapper. While a show like Upstairs, Downstairs

Upstairs, Downstairs

Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...

 can give an idea of what it was believed to be like in the early part of the twentieth century in a well to do place, this film shows what life was actually like in the late 1920's amongst fairly well off country folk, many of whom would have had servants. As well as many indoor locations, there are outdoor scenes, with Samuel getting about on a horse in open country as well as a large fox hunt starting off from the local inn.

After being thought in the public domain

Public domain

Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...

 for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 media company Canal+

Canal+

Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...

 in 2005.

Cast

• Jameson Thomas
  Jameson Thomas
  Jameson Thomas was an English film actor. He appeared in 82 films between 1923 and 1939.He was born in London and died in Sierra Madre, California, it is said from Tuberculosis....
  
   - Samuel Sweetland
• Lillian Hall-Davis
  Lillian Hall-Davis
  Lillian Hall-Davis was a British actress during the silent era.The daughter of a London taxi driver, her films included a part-color version of I Pagliacci , The Passionate Adventure , Quo Vadis , Blighty , The Ring and The Farmer's Wife , the latter two both directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
  
   - Araminta Dench, his Housekeeper
• Gordon Harker
  Gordon Harker
  Gordon Harker was an English film actor. He appeared in 68 films between 1921 and 1959, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock and a cameo appearance in Elstree Calling , a revue film co-directed by Hitchcock...
  
   - Churdles Ash: his Handyman
• Gibb McLaughlin
  Gibb McLaughlin
  Gibb McLaughlin was an English film actor. He appeared in 118 films between 1921 and 1959. He was born in Sunderland, England and died in London, England.-Selected filmography:* The Road to London...
  
  - Henry Coaker
• Maud Gill - Thirza Tapper
• Louie Pounds - Widow Windeatt
• Olga Slade - Mary Hearn: Postmistress
• Ruth Maitland - Mercy Bassett
• Antonia Brough - Susan
• Haward Watts - Dick Coaker
• Mollie Ellis - Sibley "Tibby" Sweetland (uncredited)