Saraband for Dead Lovers

Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948)

A Romance that rocked the Thrones of Kings.

Sophie Dorothea is a young woman forced into a loveless marriage with Prince George Louis of Hanover. George Louis is later crowned King George I of England. Despairing of ever experiencing true love, the depressed queen finds life at court no solace. Sophie then falls for a dashing Swedish soldier of fortune, Count Konigsmark.

Date of release
1948-10-04
TMDB
6.6 / 10 (23)
Runtime
1h 36m
Genres
Romance, History, Drama
Director
Basil Dearden

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Awards: 0 · Nominations: 1

Saraband for Dead Lovers is a 1948 British adventure historical drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stewart Granger and Joan Greenwood. It is based on the 1935 novel by Helen Simpson. Set in 17th-century Hanover, it depicts the doomed romance between Philip Christoph von Königsmarck and Sophia Dorothea of Celle, the wife of the electoral prince of Hanover. The saraband mentioned in the title is a type of Spanish dance.

Production

Film rights were bought by Ealing Studios, which announced in 1946 its plan to produce the film over the following year, with Basil Dearden to direct. The film was Ealing's first colour production.

Mai Zetterling was originally announced for the lead role, but she asked to be excused "on account of a domestic incident" (she was pregnant) and Lilli Palmer was selected to play the role in her place. However, Palmer could not travel to England in time, so Joan Greenwood was given the role.

Michael Relph said the part of the countess was offered to Marlene Dietrich but due to a miscommunication Dietrich thought she was offered the role of Sophia. Dietrich turned it down and the role was played by Flora Robson. Relph felt this hurt the movie at the box office despite the quality of Robson's performance as she was too plain.

Filming took place in June 1947, with exterior sequences shot in Prague and Blenheim Palace.

Saraband was a sweet film... and it's one I'm quite proud of. But whereas Gainsborough loved stars, Ealing didn't like them; the production was the star. Saraband was their first big color film. I said I would do it, but I wanted Marlene Dietrich, whom I loved, for Clara. I felt I couldn't be brutal to Flora Robson. Flora was a great actress, but she'd never been beautiful and it was hard to be cruel to a woman who was never beautiful.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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