50'S FOCUS : THE WOMAN'S ANGLE 1952,, ABP.

Associated British Pictures Corporation Ltd
Presents
A Leslie Arliss / Bow Bells Production

             The Woman's Angle
                        starring

Cathy O' Donnell  Lois Maxwell  Claude Farell
    Edward Underdown
Peter Reynolds Marjorie Fielding Isabel Dean Anthony Nicholls John Bentley Olaf Pooley
             JOAN COLLINS
                        as
                    Marina

Screenplay by Leslie Arliss Adapted by Diana Morgan Music by Robert Gill & Mabbie Poole
Director of Photography - Erwin Hillier Produced by Walter Mycroft Directed by Leslie Arliss


This 1952 film was Joan's second film appearance and she gets a few minutes more screen time than in the previous year's "Lady Godiva Rides Again". This time she plays the role of Marina, a maid on a small Greek island, where she works at the inn owned by her father. Although she get no lines, she still manages to show a fiery spark and vitality and it makes you want to see more of her. The film

itself is typical fifties British movie making, with a romantic if not racy plot, which may have seemed risque at the time, dealing with divorces and affairs. The setting is a divorce court hearing, with the bulk of the plot, a series of flashbacks, telling the story of Robert Mansel's indiscretions with the three women in his life! One of those ladies is Lois Maxwell, who went on to become the iconic Miss Moneypenny in the legendary James Bond series of films.
The film was shot at Elstree Studios and Joan was paid fifty pounds for her two day stint.

On it's release in the USA in 1954, NY Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote;

" The Woman's Angle, a baffling little exercise on the subject of masculine behaviour. It is also a mildly vexing picture, a grim little sample of bad writing, bad acting and bad directing all around!"

He obviously enjoyed it then! Viewed today it's a passable time waster and it gives us an early glimpse of Joan.

(c) 1952 . ABP LTD. (C) 2010 Mark McMorrow