The Planter's Wife (1952 film)

The movie was based on a 1951 novel Planter's Wife. It was originally known as White Blood.[4] This was the name given to liquid rubber as it is tapped from trees. However the title was criticised by the Colonial Office and overseas distributors because it could be interpreted as referring to racial discrimination, so it was changed to The Planter's Wife.[5]

The film was co-financed by the NFFC and the Rank Organisation. The producer, John Stafford, was freelance.[6]

To encourage a receptive American audience, Pinewood Studios head Earl St. John sent Annakin to Hollywood in November 1951 to select an American actress for the female lead. Annakin interviewed Norma Shearer, Loretta Young, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland and Claudette Colbert. Though all the actresses expressed satisfaction with the script, none wanted to leave their film and television commitments in Hollywood for an extended overseas location shoot except for Claudette Colbert.[7] Claudette Colbert was paid £20,000 to play the lead.[8]

The role of Jim Fraser was meant to be played by Michael Redgrave but in December 1951 Jack Hawkins was cast instead.[9] In January 1952 Antony Steele joined the cast.[10]

Indian dancer Ram Gopal was given his first dramatic role as the overseer.[11] Child actor Peter Asher – who later went on to a successful career as musician, singer (as half of the 1960s' "Peter & Gordon" duo) and record producer – plays the couple's son, Mike. Among the Burmese, Indian and Malay extras was Khin Maung, a noted Burmese painter.[12]

Future director Don Sharp has a small role.[13]

Colbert left for England in February 1951 and stayed there three months.[14]

Director Ken Annakin and a team gathered anecdotes from planters, policemen and soldiers in Malaya and shot second unit sequences there as well as Singapore and Malacca but for safety reasons during the ongoing Emergency, much of the filming was done in Ceylon. The majority of the film was shot in London at Pinewood Studios.

Colbert impressed Annakin with her detailed technical knowledge of lighting and camera work and confided in Annakin that she had never been called upon to do real action scenes in Hollywood and quickly became adept in small arms use.[15]

To shoot the cobra vs mongoose fight, the room set was built in a Ceylon zoo. When several of the local mongooses ran away from the cobra, the zookeeper said "Ï'm afraid our Singhalese mongooses are not used to fighting; I'll have to get you some North-Indian variety". Imported from Madras, the Indian mongoose engaged in a true fight to the finish with the cobra.[16]

The film was the sixth most popular movie of the year at the British box office in 1952, after The Greatest Show on Earth, Where No Vultures Fly, Son of Paleface. Ivanhoe and Mandy. It was followed by The Quiet Man, World In His Arms, Angel One Five, Reluctant Heroes, The African Queen and The Sound Barrier.[17][18][19]

However, despite Colbert's presence, the film only took £32,000 in the United States.[8]

The critic from the Daily Worker called it "the most viciously dishonest war propaganda picture yet made in Britain."[20]

The Los Angeles Times said "the atmosphere is more plausible than the melodrama."[21]

Ken Annakin later said he was "quite proud" of the film.[22] The success of the movie led to Rank's head of production Earl St John to commission another colonial war film, about Britain's struggle against the Mau Mau, Simba.[6]