Hell Is Sold Out

1951 film

Guy Morgan
Nick Salamon

Based onHell Is Sold Out
by Maurice DekobraProduced byRaymond StrossStarring

Mai Zetterling
Herbert Lom
Richard Attenborough
Hermione Baddeley
Nicholas Hannen
Olaf Pooley

CinematographyJack AsherEdited byHazel WilkinsonMusic byHans May

Production
company

Zelstro Productions^[1]

Distributed by

Eros Films (UK)
Realart Pictures (US)

Release date

23 July 1951 (1951-07-23)

Running time

85 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

Hell Is Sold Out is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Mai Zetterling, Herbert Lom and Richard Attenborough.^[1] The film is based on the novel of the same name by Maurice Dekobra.^[2]

Plot

A Swedish-born woman, Valerie Martin, posing as the widow of French Resistance novelist Dominic Danges, ensconces herself at his home after the end of the Second World War, and after having written under his name "Hell is Sold Out", a best selling novel. She did this after finding that the last book published under his name was a republication of her diary, "Boundless Ecstasy", found by his publisher among his writings when he was thought dead; he had been taken prisoner during the war.

He returns home. The tangle ensues putting the reputations of all involved at risk because there is interest in the book to be serialized, made into a film, and reshape his reputation in the US as a former ladies man. They argue and in order to return to Sweden, she calls on Pierre Bonnet, a fellow prisoner of Dominic. She confesses to Pierre that she and Dominic are unmarried, and does not want Dominic to know of her whereabouts. A love triangle develops when Pierre falls in love with her.^[1]^[3]

Pierre falls ill due to shrapnel in his head, and she is found out when she encounters Dominic in Pierre's room. Dominic lets known that he is not the author of the best seller. Dominic and Pierre have a heart to heart. Pierre misleads Valerie into believing that Dominic has dedicated his latest work to her. They reconcile.

Cast

Mai Zetterling as Valerie Martin
Herbert Lom as Dominic Danges
Richard Attenborough as Pierre Bonnet
Hermione Baddeley as Mme. Louise Menstrier
Nicholas Hannen as François
Olaf Pooley as Cheri, male secretary
Eric Pohlmann as Louis, the proprietor
Mara Lane as Midinette
Kathleen Byron as Arlette de Balzamann
Joan Young as Mrs. Gertrude de Montfort Cole
Althea Orr as Mrs. Eunice Weinhardt
Virginia Bedard as Mrs. Irma Reinhardt
Joan Hickson as Hortense, the housekeeper

Release

The film is on Blu-ray.^[4] Amazon.com released the film on DVD on 31 August 2010.^[5]

Critical reception

TV Guide wrote, "despite the portentous title, this is a farce, and a good one at that."^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Hell is Sold Out". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
^ Goble, Alan (1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. London, Melbourne, Munich. and New Providence, New Jersey: Bowker-Saur. ISBN 9783598114922.
^ Richard Attenborough Collection (4 movies on 2 DVDS): Featuring, 'Hell is Sold Out', 'Sea of Sand', 'Boys in Brown', and 'Morning Departure' ". WWW.VCIEntertainment.com.
^ "Hell Is Sold Out". Blu-ray. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ "Hell Is Sold Out". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ "Hell Is Sold Out". www.tvguide.com.