Information
- BFI identifier29603
- Date1928 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisSociety drama. Sir Hugo Boycott is a would-be reforming politician married to Madeleine, a young woman of the upper classes. As she fails to produce an heir they quarrel and he leaves the country to travel to Africa where he frequents a drinking club where he has an African mistress and child. At home Madeleine drifts around with her society friends being courted by Lord Harborough whom she rejects but retains as a friend. In an effort to regain her husband's love, she is persuaded by a jealous friend to adopt the illegitimate child of her manicurist as her own. For a while the pair are reconciled and Hugo dotes on his new son and heir. They eventually have another child but he is strangely uninvolved with her baby. Boycott stands for Parliament very much supported by his wife who is popular with the people but as the marriage deteriorates, again due to his philandering, tensions build. They quarrel again and ultimately it is revealed that the ‘first born’ is not his child. Boycott flees to his mistress on the night of the election and they also argue. As he leaves he walks backwards towards the open lift door and plunges to his death. On hearing this his wife is distraught but discovering from the manicurist that Hugo (she know him by another name) was the father of the child she adopted, she feels that her ties to him are finally severed and she can pursue her romance with Lord Harborough. (Synopsis)
- Genre
- Subject
- Credits
- CastMiles Mander (Sir Hugo Boycott, Bt)
Madeleine Carroll (Madeleine, his wife)
John Loder (David, Lord Harborough)
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Title
The First Born (Original)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/C2A5-5AC2-1F92-AE69-4EBD-HCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
This work is available to view in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
35mm BW Positive - Safety - Silent - Viewing
35mm Positive - Polyester - Silent - Viewing
35mm BW and Tinted Positive - Polyester - Silent - Viewing
35mm Tinted Positive - Polyester - Silent - Viewing
view all - Scripts / DocumentsFirstborn - Society Drama directed by Miles Mander; screenplay: Miles Mander, Alma Reville; Cast: Miles Mander, Madeleine Carroll, John Loder. Michael Powell was stills photographer on the film. Describing his first meeting with agent Christopher Mann, at the time representing the actress Madeleine Carroll '[who] 'was to play the leading part in a film to be made at Elstree. It was called The Firstborn...he needed portraits of her for publicity...in due time this budding star arrived at Elstree for photographic tests, and I was on hand with my camera. So was Christopher Mann but he kept out of the director's eyeline. The director's name was Miles Mander. He was the author, scriptwriter and director of the picture. He was also the leading actor. He and Madeleine were to play husband and wife. The other characters were mere silhouettes. I shot my stills. She was provincial, beautiful and inexperienced...although Madeleine was a bit confused by her association with Mander, Chris remained her manager and she soon became the brightest and most popular star in England' - MLP-1-1-8
view all - StillsPhotograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-3sw
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-3sv
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-3su
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-3st
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-3ss
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- +The First Born
Work - 29603 - 1928 (Release)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
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