In the London slum of Houndsditch in 1783, Kitty is caught trying to pick the pocket of the painter Thomas Gainsborough. He offers to pay her more to sit for a portrait for him. There, she attracts the attention of Sir Hugh Marcy and the Earl of Carstairs. Sir Hugh, upon finding out her real social status, offers her a job as a scullery maid. Kitty learns that he is impoverished, having lost his post in the foreign office due to a scandal. Gainsborough's portrait, The Anonymous Lady, creates a stir, as people try to guess who the subject is. The Duke of Malmunster buys both that painting and Gainsborough's The Blue Boy. When the duke asks Gainsborough who the model is, Sir Hugh claims she is his aunt's ward. The duke admits he may have been mistaken in having Sir Hugh dismissed from his position, and in exchange for an introduction to Kitty "Gordon", offers to reinstate him. Sir Hugh, who had planned to avenge his dismissal, changes his mind in favor of monetary gain. He and his aunt, Lady Susan Dowitt, teach Kitty how to pose as a lady of fashion. What Sir Hugh does not count on is the attraction Kitty develops for him. When Hugh is sent to debtors' prison, Kitty charms the wealthy ironmonger Jonathan Selby into marrying her, using part of her dowry to free Hugh. Hugh is furious, but has to accept the situation. Hugh and Lady Susan soon spend the rest of the dowry and go back into debt. Kitty breaks into her husband's strongbox to get the pair out of debt, but Selby finds out and starts beating her. Seeing this, Kitty's loyal maid kills him, then commits suicide. Kitty inherits a large fortune and wants to find happiness with Hugh, but he is determined to marry her off to the duke and reclaim his career. Kitty gives in. After the honeymoon, the duke lets it become known that Kitty is pregnant. After the birth of the boy, the future 10th duke, the old dissolute 9th duke dies, leaving Kitty extremely wealthy. Kitty finally makes it clear to Hugh she married twice out of love for him. He, however, does not consider the relationship as anything other than business. The Earl of Carstairs, freshly returned from India, gets Kitty to agree to marry him. Hugh finally comes to his senses, but is unable to convince Kitty to break her engagement. Finally, he brings Old Meg to see her and Carstairs. Kitty tells Meg to tell all she knows about her old life, but Carstairs' love is unshaken. Defeated, Hugh genuinely congratulates Kitty and leaves. She realizes then that she will always love him and goes after him.
Cast
Paulette Goddard as Kitty. To acquire a Cockney accent, Goddard shared a room for a time with the mother of actress Ida Lupino, who had a very pronounced one. She learned upper-class diction from Constance Collier. Upon seeing this film, the director Jean Renoir decided to cast Goddard in his film The Diary of a Chambermaid.
Ray Milland as Sir Hugh Marcy
Patric Knowles as Brett, Earl of Carstairs
Reginald Owen as Duke of Malmunster
Cecil Kellaway as Thomas Gainsborough
Constance Collier as Lady Susan Dowitt, Sir Hugh's aunt
Dennis Hoey as Jonathan Selby
Sara Allgood as Old Meg, the head of the thieving band to which Kitty belongs at the beginning
The film was based on a novel by Rosamund Marshall. Film rights were bought by Paramount prior to the novel's publication for a reported $50,000. In October 1943, Paramount announced they would make the film with Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland, with Karl Turnberg and Darrell Ware to write and produce. The novel was published that month. The New York Times called it "robust entertainment". By January 1946 it had sold almost 900,000 copies. In the original novel, Kitty was a prostitute. The Breen office, who handled censorship at the time, ruled if this was to be kept in the film version, Kitty would have to die at the end for punishment. The story was changed so Kitty was a pickpocket. In March 1944 Mitchell Leisen was given the job of directing and Cecil Kellaway was cast as Gainsborough. Director Leisen worked very hard with the set and costume designers to create a historically correct picture of 18th-century England. The California portrait painterTheodore Lukits served as technical adviser for the film's artistic scenes and painted the portrait of Kitty that is seen in the film. Lukits knew Ray Milland because he had painted his wife's portrait in 1942. Goddard was coached in her cockney accent by Connie Lupino, mother of Ida Lupino. In May 1944, before filming began, Goddard signed a new contract with Paramount to make two films a year over seven years. Filming started in May 1944. Leisen reportedly spent over $25,000 on recreations of Gainsborough portraits. Goddard made the film after returning from entertaining the troops in India and Burma. Milland made it immediately prior to The Lost Weekend. The ending of the film was re-shot in December 1944.
Reception
Box Office
The film was popular earning over $3 million at the North American box office.
