A Lancashire mill girl has an illicit adventure with the owner's son while on holiday. Based on the once notorious Houghton play.
Acting
Belle Chrystall's defiant silence speaks louder than any dialogue.
Writing
The ending rewrite that shocked 1912 audiences still lands.
Director
Victor Saville
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 1912 play was banned in London for its 'immoral' ending where the working-class heroine walks away unscathed.
Sybil Thorndike, playing Jenny's mother, was already a stage legend; this was early sound cinema grabbing theatrical credibility.