The Astonished Heart

"A daring experiment in love!"

1950 1h 25m EN

💀

4.8

SKIP

★4.8TMDB · 6

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Several years after graduation, best friends Barbara (Celia Johnson) and Leonora (Margaret Leighton) reconnect as if not a day has gone by. But Leonora could do without Barbara's husband, Christian (Noel Coward), whom she finds arrogant and off-putting ... at first. One evening alone together, romance is set ablaze, leaving Christian with a lot of explaining to do to Barbara.

“A daring experiment in love!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Celia Johnson
Barbara Faber
Noël Coward
Dr. Christian Faber
Margaret Leighton
Leonora Vail
Joyce Carey
Susan Birch
Graham Payn
Tim Verney
Michael Hordern
Ernest
Amy Veness
Alice Smith
Ralph Michael
Philip Lucas

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Antony Darnborough
Writers: Noël Coward
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Antony Darnborough, shot by Jack Asher. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Noël Coward. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Vladimir Sagovsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Celia Johnson and Noël Coward and Margaret Leighton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A daring experiment in love!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Antony Darnborough directs. Jack Asher behind the camera. Noël Coward scores. Vladimir Sagovsky cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Antony Darnborough, shot by Jack Asher. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Noël Coward. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Vladimir Sagovsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Celia Johnson and Noël Coward and Margaret Leighton carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A daring experiment in love!".
9IMDB entry: tt0041134 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jack Asher
Original score: Noël Coward
Editing: Vladimir Sagovsky
Makeup / hair: W.T. Partleton
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Astonished Heart (1950)

Also by

Antony Darnborough

So Long at the Fair
1950 · ★ 6.9

Production companies

Who made it

GA
Gainsborough Pictures
GB
SY
Sydney Box Productions
GB

Key crew

Production ManagerHugh Attwooll
Supervising Art DirectorGeorge Provis
Art DirectionMaurice Carter
Sound RecordistReg Barnes Heath
Sound RecordistGordon K. McCallum
Assistant DirectorErnest Morris
ProducerAntony Darnborough
Makeup ArtistW.T. Partleton
EditorVladimir Sagovsky
Production ControllerArthur Alcott
Camera OperatorLen Harris
ConductorMuir Mathieson

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

venice, italy
love triangle

Release history · US

When it landed

Premiere1950-02-14

5.9