While I Live (1947)

★ 6.7 1h 25m IMDb

Thriller

In 1922, young pianist and composer Olwen Trevelyan, troubled and sleepless over her inability to finish the final notes of her composition, falls to her death from the cliffs of Cornwall. 25 years on, Olwen has gained posthumous fame as a result of her tragic death and her haunting uncompleted composition 'The Dream of Olwen'. Her reclusive sister Julia (Sonia Dresdel), who has never come to terms with Olwen's death, becomes convinced that Olwen has returned when she meets an amnesiac woman who looks like her.

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Cast

Sonia Dresdel as Julia Trevelyan Died 1976 · Hornsea, Yorkshire, England, UK Sonia Dresdel (5 May 1909 - 18 January 1976) was an English actress, whose career ran between the 1940s and 1970s. She was born Lois Obee in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and was educate...

Carol Raye as Sally Grant Died 2022 · London, England, UK Born in Rotherhithe, London as Kathleen Mary Corkrey, after a series of stage and film roles in the UK, she continued her career in Kenya, then Australia, where she became established as a TV performe...

Tom Walls as Nehemiah Died 1949 · Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK From Wikipedia Tom Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the...

Patricia Burke as Christine Sloan Died 2003 · Milan, Italy Patricia Burke was an English singer and actress in cinema, stage and TV. She was the daughter of actress Marie Burke and British operatic tenor Thomas Burke..

Clifford Evans as Peter Sloan Died 1985 · Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales, UK

Audrey Fildes as Olwen Trevelyan Died 1997 · Bromborough, Birkenhead, United Kingdom

Director John Harlow

Cast Sonia Dresdel, Carol Raye, Tom Walls, Patricia Burke, Clifford Evans, John Warwick, Audrey Fildes, Ernest Butcher, Enid Hewitt

John Chard 7/10 Aug 10, 2019

For while I live, you shall not die!

While I Live is directed by John Harlow and written by Robert Bell, John Harlow and Doreen Montgomery. It stars Tom Walls, Clifford Evans, Sonia Dresdel, Patricia Burke, John Warwick, Edward Lexy and Audrey Fildes. Music is by Charles Williams and cinematography by Freddie Young.

It has been 25 years since her composer sister died in tragic circumstance, but Julia Trevelyan (Dresdel) still obsesses over her. Then one day an amnesiac woman arrives at the family home looking for help, and now Julia is certain that she is the reincarnation of her beloved sister.

It has become one of those films more known for its theme music than for the film itself. For here we have Charles Williams’ quite beautiful “The Dream of Olwen” featuring as a key part of the narrative. It’s the piece of work that Olwen Trevelyan (Fildes) was struggling to finish before her untimely death. While it’s undeniably the beating heart of the pic, it’s a disservice to ignore what characteristic and narrative smarts are on show.

This is a fascinating delve into not only the world of amnesia, but also to that of grief as a sometimes unstoppable force. Thus with the setting to the tale being a cliff top dwelling in Cornwall, pic is ripe for ethereal tones and shadowy visuals, with the mystery of the amnesiac lady a constant intrigue. It’s all very improbable of course, and much of the acting is of its time and very “correct” as it were, but this is a lovely film with sharp themes at the core, some nifty tech aspects on show and a bona fide classic piece of music driving it forward. 7.5/10

CinemaSerf 6/10 Jul 07, 2022

A little like the Nino Rota theme from the "Glass Mountain", this film is much more memorable for the beautiful, haunting melody "The Dream of Olwen" from Charles Williams than for it's acting. The story revolves around a spinster "Julia (Sonia Dresdel) who has been mourning the death of her musically gifted sister for a quarter of a century. Out of the blue, an amnesiac lady (Audrey Flides) arrives at their home and "Julia" soon becomes convinced that she is the reincarnation of her dead sibling. Not a view shared by everyone in the family - but, eerily, she has knowledge and habits common to the deceased. It's a gently presented melodrama - a good cast telling a charming tale that hasn't really much depth either in the plot or characterisation departments but tugs at the heart strings nonetheless...