''A Feather in Her Hat'' is a 1935 melodrama film starring Pauline Lord as a working-class woman with ambitions for her son. It is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie.

Plot

In 1925 London, middle-aged, widowed shopkeeper Clarissa Phipps ( Pauline Lord) pities genteel, but homeless drunkard Captain Randolph Courtney (

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

) and takes him in. When Courtney corrects the lower-class accent and grammar of her son Richard, a germ of an idea is born. Richard benefits from Courtney's tutelage as he grows up. Ten years later, on Richard's twenty-first birthday, Clarissa makes a startling announcement. She is not his mother, but was merely hired to raise him for his upper-class parents. She gives him a bank passbook with a balance of £1000 as arranged with his real mother and asks him to move out on his own. Richard (

Louis Hayward Louis Charles Hayward (19 March 1909 – 21 February 1985) was a Johannesburg-born, British-American actor. Biography Born in Johannesburg, Louis Hayward lived in South Africa and was educated in France and England, including Latymer Upper Scho ...

) and Courtney are both stunned. Emily Judson (

Nydia Westman Nydia Eileen Westman (February 19, 1902 – May 23, 1970) was an American actress and singer of stage, screen, and television. Early years Westman's parents, Theodore and Lily (Wren) Westman were active in vaudeville in her native New Y ...

), with whom Richard has grown up, is distressed as well; she had hoped to marry him, but now feels he is out of her reach. From Clarissa's private papers and what she had said, Courtney guesses that Richard's mother is Julia Trent Anders (

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

), a former star actress. Would-be playwright Richard, seeking to get to know her, becomes a lodger in her mansion, where he also meets her absentminded scientist husband Paul (

Victor Varconi Victor Varconi (born Mihály Várkonyi; March 31, 1891 – June 6, 1976) was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where ...

) and her beautiful stepdaughter Pauline (

Wendy Barrie Wendy Barrie (born Marguerite Wendy Jenkins; 18 April 1912 – 2 February 1978) was a British-American film and television actress. Early life Barrie was born in London to English parents. Her father, Francis Charles John Graigoe Jenkin KC ...

). Richard and Pauline are attracted to each other, much to the annoyance of rival suitor Leo Cartwright (

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

). Pauline becomes aware of Emily's prior claim, however, and desists. When Julia discovers that her tenant has written a play (with a starring role suitable for her comeback), she introduces him to her friend, producer Sir Elroyd Joyce (

Thurston Hall Ernest Thurston Hall (May 10, 1882 – February 20, 1958) was an American film, stage and television actor.Aylesworth, Thomas G. and Bowman, John S. (1987). ''The World Almanac Who's Who of Film''. World Almanac. . Pp. 186-187. Career Stag ...

). Joyce reads his play as a favor to Julia; however, while he sees promise in Richard's work, it would be too expensive for him to produce. When Clarissa finds out, she sells her shop and uses most of the proceeds to secretly finance it without Richard's knowledge. She and Courtney proudly attend the premiere of ''Son of Sixpence''. The play is a success, but the experience is too much for Clarissa, already in very bad health. On her deathbed, she admits to Richard that she is actually his mother after all. Emily, admitting defeat, concedes Richard to Pauline.

Cast

* Pauline Lord as Clarissa Phipps *

as Captain Randolph Courtney *

as Richard Orland *

as Julia Trent Anders *

as Pauline Anders *

as Emily Judson *

as Paul Anders *

as Sir Elroyd Joyce *

Nana Bryant Nana Irene Bryant (November 23, 1888 – December 24, 1955) was an American film, stage, and television actress. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1935 and 1955. Biography Bryant was born 1888 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She appeared in ...

as Lady Drake *

J. M. Kerrigan Joseph Michael Kerrigan (16 December 1884 – 29 April 1964) was an Irish actor. Early life Joseph Michael Kerrigan was born on 16 December 1884 in Dublin, which was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at that time. H ...

as Pobjay * Doris Lloyd as Liz Vanning *

as Leo Cartwright * John Rogers as Henry Vining

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feather in Her Hat, A 1935 films American drama films Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Alfred Santell Films set in London American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1935 drama films Melodrama films Films based on works by I. A. R. Wylie 1930s American films