THE FIRST BORN

MILES MANDER, GREAT BRITAIN, 1928 Screening: Friday 20th April, 7:15pm

1930s saw his career blossom as a charac- ter actor in titles such as Wuthering Heights CAST (1939) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). Miles Mander ... The First Born was adapted from Mander’s own play and novel which contained a Sir Hugo Boycott number of elements based on personal Madeleine Carroll ... experience. Mander’s elder brother, Sir Lady Madeleine Boycott Geoffrey, was an eminent Liberal MP, so it’s unsurprising that the world of politics John Loder ... plays an important role. In the film the Lord David Harborough politics of Sir Hugo are never enunciated Ella Atherton ... whereas in the play he is radical, anti- Nina de Lande Image courtesy of Steve Chibnall Archive imperialist and denounces his own class as ‘parasites’. Indeed, in 1934 Mander stood Margot Armand ... (unsuccessfully) as a prospective Labour The First Born is a tour de force of late Sylvia Findlay silent filmmaking and continues the BFI’s parliamentary candidate for Putney. commitment to reappraising one of the Mander’s debut as director is remarkable. Ivo Dawson ... least known – but most vital – periods of The film’s treatment is unusually ‘adult’ Derek Findlay British cinema. Following the BFI Na- and is made with real invention; it is also Marjorie Roach ... tional Archive’s recent restorations of masterly in both its construction and con- Underground (Anthony Asquith, 1928) tinuity. There are moments that are Phoebe Chiver and The Great White Silence (Herbert Pon- clearly reminiscent of early Hitchcock, an ting, 1924), the restoration of The First influence in part explained by Mander’s Born transforms how the film will be seen choice of co-writer, Alma Reville – by removing decades of damage, rein- Hitchcock’s wife and closest collaborator. stating missing footage and reintroducing Reville had a particular talent for story a magical range of tints. and went on to write for several major The First Born was Miles Mander’s (1888- British silent films including The Constant 1946) first feature as director. He was a Nymph (1928) and Gracie Fields’ first star- multi-talented and colourful character ring vehicle, Sally in Our Alley (1931). She who pursued a number of other careers – was assistant director on The Pleasure Gar- actor, playwright, nascent politician, den (1925) – currently being restored by pioneer aviator, radio journalist and the BFI National Archive – working with sheep farmer – with equal vigour. From both Hitchcock and Mander.

1920 he began an extensive international film career, starring in Alfred Hitch- The First Born made the careers of both cock’s directorial debut The Pleasure Gar- John Loder, who was whisked off to Hol- den (1925), and has credits on over 100 lywood before the film was screened, and films. A move to Hollywood in the late the Black Country-born actress Madeleine Carroll, who continued to make He has scored many DVDs for the films in the UK for some years before BFI and other labels, including The CAST crossing the pond to a glittering ca- Battle of the Somme (1916) for the Im- reer. perial War Museum, and A Cottage on Miles Mander ... It can be no coincidence that having Dartmoor (1929) for the BFI. Sir Hugo Boycott worked with Reville she came to the For The First Born he has composed attention of Hitchcock, who cast her for a trio, leading from the piano Madeleine Carroll ... in The 39 Steps (1935), her most fa- (also playing flute and accordion) Lady Madeleine Boycott mous role. with Janey Miller on oboe and Mar- John Loder ... The Music tin Pyne on tuned percussion. The score is composed to reflect both the Lord David Harborough Stephen Horne has been accompany- film’s romantic and suspenseful ele- Ella Atherton ... ing silent film regularly since 1986 at ments, with the oboe to express an what is now BFI Southbank and element of human intimacy and the Nina de Lande around the world at specialist film percussion to add dynamism and un- Margot Armand ... festivals. derpin a popular tune which is incor- Sylvia Findlay porated into the story both literally and thematically. Ivo Dawson ... Derek Findlay Marjorie Roach ... Phoebe Chiver

Image courtesy of bfi Stills, Posters and Designs

Notes courtesy of Bryony Dixon

Programme notes compiled by Alex Rock, Programme Design and Layout by Molly Cotterill and Emma Jezard