Expert: Jim Kason - 7/6/2010

Question
Well, this is driving me nuts, Jim, so I hope you can come with the answer!

Black and white film. Very atmospheric. Watched it 40 years ago as a kid so memory's probably playing tricks.

Anyway, the plot was roughly like this: husband and wife (or fianceés?) go on holiday to a city (Can't quite remember if Paris or something more exotic, Alexandria or some such place).

They stay in a hotel. Husband disappears. Wife goes to police. Mystery deepens. Alternative memory: husband is in hospital (I remember nuns with pointed hats) and one morning she goes there and he's vanished.

Turns out the husband contracted some contagious disease and they wanted to keep it a secret so they modified the hotel/hospital room to pretend husband was never there.

Atmosphere a bit like 'Gaslight' (wife thinks she's going mad, everyone pretending no-one had ever seen the husband).

I thought it was with Ingrid Bergman but a search through her filmography revealed nothing.

Have I dreamt it all or was it a real one??

Ta in advance!

Walter

Answer
Hi Walter,

Yes, I know what film you're talking about,....and I'm not going to tell you.

No, seriously,...it was one of my favorite movie "mysteries" that intrigued me when I first saw it  as a kid in San Francisco.  It's the prestigious Gainsborough Pictures production, "So Long At The Fair"...( the title coming from the old folk song, "Oh, Dear,..what can the matter be,...Johnny's so long at the fair." )  And it was filmed at your veryown Pinewood Studios !
Starring the young Jean Simmons,..and Dirk Bogarde,..it took place at the Paris Fair of 1899;......and they played brother and sister,...not husband and wife.
For the complete synopsis and info, go to:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_Long_at_the_Fair
I believe it's available, (in a Spanish produced DVD), at:    www.amazon.co.uk

Sincerely,

Jim K.