The Passionate Stranger (1957): Cast & Plot
The Passionate Stranger is a 1957 romantic drama directed by Muriel Box, starring Margaret Leighton as Judith Wynter / Leonie Hathaway, Carlo Giustini and Ralph Richardson. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Muriel Box
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Beaconsfield Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Passionate Stranger About?
The premise of The Passionate Stranger without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Judith Wynter, a happily married novelist whose romance novels enchant countless female readers, hires Carlo, a striking young Italian chauffeur, to work for her and her husband—a professor slowly recovering from a paralytic attack. Carlo’s fascination turns uneasy when he reads Judith’s latest manuscript and draws a mistaken, alarming conclusion, sending the Wynter household into a web of tangled complications.
The Passionate Stranger Themes & Keywords
· 44 tags- typewriter
- wheelchair
- polio
- polio victim
- handicapped person
- disabled person
- novelist
- female novelist
- writer
- female writer
- italian
- italian man
+32 more Show fewer
- chauffeur
- dinner
- wine
- drinking wine
- novel
- title appears in writing
- self referential
- reading a novel
- voice over narration
- husband wife relationship
- piano
- pianist
- female pianist
- playing piano
- recital
- flat tire
- garage
- fair
- dancing
- kiss
- infidelity
- adultery
- bus
- love
- telephone call
- black and white to color
- man uses a wheelchair
- man with a physical disability
- pregnancy
- richardson and leighton
- f rated
- title directed by female
The Passionate Stranger Cast & Characters
Margaret Leighton leads the cast as Judith Wynter / Leonie Hathaway, with Carlo Giustini as Carlo / Mario and Ralph Richardson as Roger Wynter / Sir Clement. Directed by Muriel Box; 20 actors are credited in all.
- Director Muriel Box
- Margaret Leighton as Judith Wynter / Leonie Hathaway
- Carlo Giustini as Carlo / Mario
-
Ralph Richardson as Roger Wynter / Sir Clement -
Allan Cuthbertson as Dr. Stevenson
Also Starring in The Passionate Stranger
· 16 more- George Woodbridge 1st Landlord
- Thorley Walters Jimmy
- Frederick Piper Mr. Poldy
- Marjorie Rhodes Mrs. Poldy
- Megs Jenkins Millie
- Michael Trubshawe Second Landlord
- Pat Ryan Guard (uncredited)
- John Arnatt Maurice Lamport / Martin
- Alexander Gauge MC at Dance
- Barbara Archer Doris (uncredited)
- Patricia Dainton Emily / Betty
- Christopher Witty Peter (uncredited)
- Ada Reeve Old Woman
- Andrée Melly Maria (uncredited)
- Barbara Graley Secretary (uncredited)
- Fred Tooze Amos (uncredited)
More from Muriel Box
More films directed by Muriel Box: Rattle of a Simple Man, Too Young to Love, Subway in the Sky and This Other Eden.
The Passionate Stranger Plot Summary
What happens in The Passionate Stranger from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Carlo Carlo Giustini is hired as a chauffeur at the English country manor owned by Roger Wynter Ralph Richardson and his wife Judith Wynter Margaret Leighton. Judith is a respected novelist who writes bold, escapist romances for a popular market, yet in everyday life she embodies a steady, unassuming wife, happily married to a husband who has been rendered immobile by polio. She draws on the people around her and the situations they share as raw material for her current project, a novel titled The Passionate Stranger.
Full summary
The whole story of The Passionate Stranger, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Passionate Stranger?
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 the Italian chauffeur Carlo?
Cars in The Passionate Stranger
27 cars on screen, including the 1950 Bentley Mk.VI and the 1939 Pontiac De Luxe.
-
1950 Bentley Mk.VI Main role -
1939 Pontiac De Luxe Main role -
1937 Fordson V8 Minor role -
1953 Guy Special Minor role
Seen The Passionate Stranger?
Movies Like The Passionate Stranger
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Passionate Friends, Passion Flower and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.
The Passionate Stranger FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Passionate Stranger, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Passionate Stranger?
The Passionate Stranger runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was The Passionate Stranger released?
The Passionate Stranger was released on March 4, 1957.
Who directed The Passionate Stranger?
The Passionate Stranger was directed by Muriel Box.
More films by Muriel Box Who is in the cast of The Passionate Stranger?
The Passionate Stranger stars Margaret Leighton as Judith Wynter / Leonie Hathaway, Carlo Giustini as Carlo / Mario and Ralph Richardson as Roger Wynter / Sir Clement, among 20 credited actors.
Does The Passionate Stranger have a post-credit scene?
No. The Passionate Stranger has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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