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Under Capricorn

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Under Capricorn (1949) is a historical drama set in colonial Sydney, New South Wales, in 1831. Ingrid Bergman stars as Lady Henrietta Flusky, a once-aristocratic Irish woman who has descended into alcoholism and secrecy in the Australian frontier society, married to the ex-convict and self-made businessman Sam Flusky (Joseph Cotten). The arrival of her childhood companion Charles Adare (Michael Wilding) — cousin to the new governor — begins to unlock the dark secrets binding the household.

Hitchcock's second Technicolor film and his second consecutive experiment with long, unbroken takes (following Rope, 1948), Under Capricorn features a nine-and-a-half-minute monologue by Bergman shot in a single take. Hitchcock later described it as one of his least satisfying films; French critics, however, have championed it as a masterwork.

Location(s)

Though set in colonial Australia, Under Capricorn was filmed almost entirely in London and the English countryside, with brief additional work at the Warner Ranch in California. The Government House exterior was faked using the façade of Canoga Park High School in California.

Studio and Location Work, London and Home Counties, England

The bulk of Under Capricorn was filmed in London and the surrounding English countryside, with the grandly furnished interiors of the Flusky mansion and the colonial-period Sydney settings created on studio stages and at country locations in England. The long, continuous takes demanded meticulous preparation and precise coordination between cast and crew.

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California

Some additional scenes were shot at the Warner Ranch in Calabasas, California, used as a supplementary filming location by the production. Map Location

Canoga Park High School, Los Angeles, California

The columned facade of Canoga Park High School stood in for the exterior of Government House in Sydney. Hitchcock makes his customary cameo in the film, appearing as one of three men standing on the steps of the supposed Government House. Map Location

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

Ingrid Bergman

Joseph Cotten

Michael Wilding

Margaret Leighton

Cecil Parker

Full Cast

IMDB

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