Riders to the Sea (film)

Riders to the Sea is a British short film, shot in 1935 in Ireland. It is based on 1904 play of the same name, written by John Millington Synge. It was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst with Sara Allgood and Denis Johnston in the title roles.

Riders to the Sea
Directed byBrian Desmond Hurst
Written byBrian Desmond Hurst
Wolfgang Wilhelm
Patrick Kirwan
Francis Stewart
Based onplay Riders to the Sea
by John Millington Synge
Produced byJohn P. Flanagan
Gracie Fields
StarringSara Allgood
Denis Johnston
Distributed byBBSC
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • 13 July 1936 (1936-07-13)
Running time
3710 ft
40 minutes
CountryGreat Britain
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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A story set in a fishing community in Western Ireland. It concerns Maurya, a woman who loses her husband and her sons at the sea.

Cast

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Production notes

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Critical response

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Writing for The Spectator in 1935, Graham Greene praised Fields for her courage and generosity in financing this independent film, however he faulted the film's apparent independence from the viewer, and described the film as "altogether too private" in its presentation. Greene (who admitted a personal disinclination toward Synge's plays) predicted that even Synge's admirers would struggle with the film and suggested that "something has gone badly wrong with the continuity; the loss of act divisions has upset the sense of time".[1]

References

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  1. ^ Greene, Graham (20 December 1935). "Riders to the Sea". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. pp. 39–40. ISBN 0192812866.)
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