British Film Institute - London Film Festival

Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Kitty (1945)

Director: Mitchell Leisen

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

One of the elegant Leisen's very best, with a lovely performance from Goddard as the 18th century London slum wench who gatecrashes society after being painted as a lady by Gainsborough. The tartly witty script (from a novel by Rosamund Marshall) owes something to Pygmalion as the grubby waif is taken up by Milland's raffish young man-about-town and taught the secrets of speech and deportment by his aunt. But tone and mood come closer to Renoir's Diary of a Chambermaid, blending sharp cynicism with shafts of tenderness as Milland seeks to capitalise on his creation, she sacrifices herself to save him from debtor's prison, and a couple of profitable marriages intervene before romance has its way. Stunningly shot by Daniel Fapp, scrupulously authentic in period detail (gorgeous sets and costumes), it's wholly delightful.

Author: TM

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

A Bond a day: No.5 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

A Bond a day: No.5 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

Join Time Out as we revisit the 21 official James Bond movies to celebrate the release of 'Quantum of Solace'

Steve McQueen on 'Hunger'

Steve McQueen on 'Hunger'

Dave Calhoun meets artist Steve McQueen’s whose debut feature film, ‘Hunger’, is the story of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands

Producer Stephen Woolley on ‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’

Producer Stephen Woolley on ‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’

Stephen Woolley, recalls the near catastrophes he had to contend with in bringing Toby Young’s memoir to the screen

Paul Newman: 1925 – 2008

Paul Newman: 1925 – 2008

Paul Newman died at his Connecticut home this weekend, at the age of 83. We look back at one of the great movie careers of the twentieth century

Richard Attenborough: interview

Richard Attenborough: interview

‘Entirely Up to You, Darling’ is the long-awaited autobiography from Sir Richard Attenborough. David Jenkins meets him in his Richmond home

Hard hacks to follow

Hard hacks to follow

To celebrate the release of 'How To Lose Friends and Alienate People', Time Out pick some of the toughest journalistic gigs in cinema