Saraband for Dead Lovers

This lavish historical drama from 1948 – filmed in glorious Technicolor - must surely be the most expensive film to come out of Michael Balcon's never less than estimable and much-missed Ealing Studios.

Here we are all aboard for some heavy-handed political intrigue (it was probably this element that prevented a box office success) when Sophie Dorothea (the diminutive Joan Greenwood) – later the Electoral Princess of Hanover - falls for the dashing mercenary Count Philip Königsmark (Stewart Granger - on loan from Gainsborough and very much in his element here). Seeing how Sophie Dorothea is forced into a loveless marriage (nothing new here) mainly at the request of Electress Sophia (the rather imposing French opera singer Francoise Rosay) to her rather unpleasant and not exactly attractive wastrel of a son, Prince George Louis (Peter Bull), we know there is going to be trouble. Sophie is anything but pleased about the arranged marriage, long before she even meets Count Königsmark. As for Prince George Luis, he doesn’t want to marry either, well, certainly not Sophie Dorothea – despite his mother and his father Ernest Augustus, the Elector of Hanover (Frederick Falk – one of the few cast members who were actually German), insisting on the arranged wedding. So does Sophie’s father George William, the Duke of Lauenburgh (David Horne).

Nevertheless, the wedding goes ahead and a couple of children are soon upon the scene. Parental duties don’t deter the philandering Prince George Louis from indulging in his usual affairs with certain chosen ladies, not to mention his gambling habits. However, the arrival of the chancer/ mercenary Count Königsmark will change all that. The Count is seen losing a considerable amount of money at cards to George Louis and asks if he can pay him anon. Enter the rather clever Countess Pleben (Flora Robson) who has an eye for the handsome young fellow, she also happens to know he doesn't have the money to pay off the debt. She is not a woman without power and is pretty high up in the Hanoverian court. She offers Königsmark a deal which he is hardly in a position to refuse: she will get him a high ranking post at court; pay off his debt and he will become her lover! Originally, Marlene Dietrich had been vetted for this part and seeing as Dietrich was regarded as an ‘ageing beauty’ but Flora (a fine actress) was never considered beautiful by any stretch of the imagination, it may have worked a little better. Stewart Granger had wanted Dietrich obviously; we never actually see Königsmark and the Countess Pleben kiss. It isn't too difficult to see the writing on the wall, made all the more complicated when Sophie Dorothea and the dashing Count seem to fall for each other upon first sight!

Königsmark is no fool and is quite able to inform an ill-advised Electress Sophia that the Turkey campaign will be a complete disaster (the Ottoman's retook Belgrade in 1690). Nevertheless, against his better judgement goes to fight alongside Sophia’s younger son Prince Charles (Michael Gough). Charles is killed fighting in battle and it is thought that Königsmark has also met the same fate. Sophie Dorothea is not able to hide her grief from her husband and the cat is out of the bag. There appears to be some of Beau Brummel's (another great Granger part) braggadogio in Königsmark, as he later denounces George Louis's profligacy in front of everyone at court. Durer (Anthony Quayle), an ambitious young man at court who has never liked Königsmark, embarks (near literally) on his trail and along with the now jilted and broken-hearted Countess Pleben (“Love me, Königsmark, and let me be young again”) conspires to bring about the Count’s downfall.

Australian novelist Helen Simpson penned the novel (on which this film is based) in 1935 and adapted it as a play some five years later. She died in 1940, eight years before SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS was made. Incidentally, the film’s title refers to a type of Spanish dance. It would appear that screenwriters Alexander McKendrick and John Dighton stuck pretty close to Simpson's work. Of course, a number of liberties were taken in order to bring this 'doomed love story' to the big screen. We don't really know what became of the real Königsmark (not wanting to give too much of this plot away) and as for him and Sophie Dorothea being lovers… that is based on a series of love letters found sometime later (which may or may not have been forgeries).

Commendations all round and despite cast changes there are no complaints as to what we get here. One needs to realise that apart from Francois Rosay (French) and Frederick Valk (German) everyone else speaks with an English accent yet is supposed to be German. Purely from an actors’ point of view, Flora Robson has by far the juiciest part. Douglas Slocombe has a ball with cinematography and as for Jim Morahan, William Kellner and Ealing stalwart Michael Relph – all three were nominated for the Academy Award for ‘Best Art Direction’ (set decoration and colour). Indeed, the costumes and sets are something to behold! Alan Rawsthorne provided the score and exterior filming took place on locations in Prague and Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

Available on Blu-ray and Digital. Bonus Features include: ‘A Strange Adventure: Matthew Sweet and Phuong Le discuss SARABAND / ‘A Technicolor Dance: Interview with film historian Dr. Josephine Botting / Restoring the film / ‘Behind the Scenes’ stills gallery).