The Clouded Yellow (1950): Cast & Plot
The Clouded Yellow is a 1950 mystery thriller directed by Ralph Thomas, starring Trevor Howard as Maj. David Somers, André Morell and Jean Simmons. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Director
- Ralph Thomas
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Carillon Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Clouded Yellow About?
The premise of The Clouded Yellow without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Tense and unusual, the story follows former British Secret Service agent David Somers (Trevor Howard), who takes a quiet job cataloguing butterflies at the country estate of Nicholas and Jess Fenton. When a local gamekeeper is murdered, their niece Sophie Malraux (Jean Simmons) is wrongly accused. Somers helps her flee, and the pair embark on a cross‑country chase that ends in a coastal city where they plan to board a ship. The real murderer is finally uncovered, bringing the drama to a satisfying close.
The Clouded Yellow Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- british noir
- secret agent
- britain
- country estate
- murder suspect
- gamekeeper
- fugitive
- british police
- niece
- butterfly
- warehouse
- taxidermist
+38 more Show fewer
- doctor
- police inspector
- chase
- wrongly accused
- liverpool
- lake district
- london england
- hidden identity
- frame up
- former spy
- handyman
- rooftop
- on the run
- on the lam
- police
- agent
- stolen car
- mg td
- newcastle upon tyne england
- being followed
- outcast
- female fugitive
- husband murders wife
- father daughter relationship
- hiding from police
- man and woman kissing
- cleavage
- aggressive man
- butterfly net
- british secret agent
- bus travel
- knife
- sikorscky r 4 hoverfly
- hot wiring a car
- niece living with aunt and uncle
- boat trip
- lake district england
- avro lancaster
The Clouded Yellow Cast & Characters
Trevor Howard leads the cast as Maj. David Somers, with André Morell as Secret Service Chief Chubb (as Andre Morell) and Jean Simmons as Sophie Malraux. Directed by Ralph Thomas; 16 actors are credited in all.
- Director Ralph Thomas
-
Trevor Howard as Maj. David Somers - André Morell as Secret Service Chief Chubb (as Andre Morell)
-
Jean Simmons as Sophie Malraux - Sonia Dresdel as Jess Fenton
Also Starring in The Clouded Yellow
· 12 more- Maxwell Reed Hick
- Kenneth More Willy Shepley
- Barry Jones Nicholas Fenton
- Geoffrey Keen Police Inspector
- Marianne Stone Young Woman at Nora's House (uncredited)
- Eric Pohlmann Taxidermist
- Richard Wattis Employment Agent
- Michael Brennan Police Superintendent
- Sandra Dorne Kyra
- Gerard Heinz Dr. Karl Cesare
- Maire O'Neill Nora
- Lily Kann Minna Cesare
More from Ralph Thomas
More films directed by Ralph Thomas: A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square, Percy’s Progress, The Love Ban and Quest for Love.
The Clouded Yellow Plot Summary
What happens in The Clouded Yellow from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
David Somers, Trevor Howard, a former army officer who rose to the ranks of the British Secret Intelligence Service during the Second World War, finds his glittering career cut short after a mission ends in failure. With his active duty behind him, he takes a quiet, almost genteel job cataloguing butterflies at the country house of Nicholas and Jess Fenton, where the clouded yellow—a rare species—becomes a quiet, almost symbolic thread in his day-to-day life.
At the Fenton estate, Somers encounters Sophie Malraux, Jean Simmons, Jess’s niece, and the pair’s initial reserve gives way to a growing attraction that both unsettles and energizes them. Sophie’s presence injects a vulnerable humanity into Somers’s guarded world, and the two begin to lean on each other as the atmosphere around them grows tenser.
Full summary
The whole story of The Clouded Yellow, scene by scene
The Clouded Yellow Videos
The clip of The Clouded Yellow.
How Well Do You Know The Clouded Yellow?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor plays David Somers, the former intelligence officer turned butterfly cataloguer?
Cars in The Clouded Yellow
35 cars on screen, including the 1947 BUT 9641T and the 1947 Humber Snipe MkII.
-
1947 BUT 9641T Important role -
1947 Humber Snipe MkII Important role -
1947 Leyland Tiger Important role -
1936 S.S. II Important role
The Clouded Yellow Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “Cielo tempestoso” and “La Fille aux papillons”.
- Also known as
-
- Cielo tempestoso
- La Fille aux papillons
- Trágica obsesión
- 蝶怨花残
- Nuvens de Desespero
Seen The Clouded Yellow?
Movies Like The Clouded Yellow
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Young and Innocent, Cloudburst and The Yellow Balloon.
The Clouded Yellow FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Clouded Yellow, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Clouded Yellow?
The Clouded Yellow runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was The Clouded Yellow released?
The Clouded Yellow was released on November 21, 1950.
Who directed The Clouded Yellow?
The Clouded Yellow was directed by Ralph Thomas.
More films by Ralph Thomas Who is in the cast of The Clouded Yellow?
The Clouded Yellow stars Trevor Howard as Maj. David Somers, André Morell as Secret Service Chief Chubb (as Andre Morell) and Jean Simmons as Sophie Malraux, among 16 credited actors.
Does The Clouded Yellow have a post-credit scene?
No. The Clouded Yellow has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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