History Film / TheWickedLady

* HeelFaceMole: When elderly servant Hogarth reveals to Barbara that he has evidence that she was involved in the robbery that resulted in Ned's death and that they need to tell the authorities for the sakes of their souls (Hogarth being ''very'' devout), Barbara convinces him that Jerry wooed her into her double life and promises to reform. Hogarth decides that the prospect of helping redeem her cannot be passed up and agrees not to tell anyone else what he knows, and for the months that follow Barbara forsakes her thieving ways, goes to church, etc...all while slowly poisoning him with arsenic-laced fruit cordial and anticipating her return to the highways.

''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 CostumeDrama film directed by Leslie Arliss, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] the novel ''The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton'' by Magdalen King-Hall, which was based in turn upon the (disputed) events surrounding the life of Katherine Ferrers, a 17th century heiress who according to legend terrorized the countryside as the eponymous [[TheHighwayman highwaywoman]].

''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 film based on the novel ''The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton'' by Magdalen King-Hall, which in turn, was based upon the (disputed) events surrounding the life of Lady Katherine Ferrers, the wife of the major landowner in Markyate on the main London–Birmingham road.

The beautiful Barbara (Creator/MargaretLockwood) is invited by her fried friend Caroline to her upcoming wedding to wealthy landowner and local magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton. A scheming Barbara soon has Sir Ralph totally entranced; Caroline, wishing only his happiness, stands aside.

But Barbara is unlucky enough to ''truly'' fall in love at her wedding reception with the handsome Kit Locksby, and married life on a rural estate soon leaves Lady Skelton bored to tears. After a visit by her detested sister-in-law Henrietta and her husband ends with Henrietta winning Barbara's jewels (including her most-prized possession, her late mother's ruby brooch) in a game of Ombre, and a chance remark about the notorious highwayman Captain Jerry Jackson, Barbara has an idea: Masquerading as Jackson, she can rob Henrietta's coach and reclaim her lost fortune -- with interest!

Intoxicated by the experience, she embarks upon a double life and keeps on waylaying coaches until one night she and the real "Lucky" Jerry Jackson (Creator/JamesMason) target the same one. When Jackson, amused and surprised, learns her identity they become partners in crime ''and'' love. But as she seeks bigger thrills, lives are put in danger, people begin suspecting she's not all she seems, and her efforts to cover her tracks only make matters worse for everyone...especially as matters of the heart come into play.

This film was one of the most successful of the "Gainsborough Melodramas", a run of lavish costume dramas from Gainsborough Pictures that topped the British box-office in the mid-1940s. It was remade by Creator/MichaelWinner in 1983, with Creator/FayeDunaway as Barbara. While the script is faithful to the original film's to the point that its screenwriter gets a "Written by" credit alongside Winner, it is also significantly HotterAndSexier. It also may or may not have had a MidDevelopmentGenreShift into a deliberately {{Camp}}, comic take on the material -- some advertising presents it as such, but some does not, and virtually nothing in the film is played as comedy if it was not played as such in the original version.

* BloodFromTheMouth: [[spoiler: Lady Barbara]] has a little blood coming from their mouth after they have been shot (probably a lung wound).

* CrossDressingVoices: Barbara speaks in a lower register in her highwayman persona. This is more convincing in the remake, as Faye Dunaway's voice is lower to start with.
* DisguisedInDrag: Barbara does this to rob coaches, in part because she's initially masquerading as Jerry Jackson. Since highwaymen have to conceal their faces anyway, it's easier for her than for most women affecting this trope.

* DyingDeclarationOfLove: At the end, [[spoiler: Barbara makes this to Kit, declaring that she tried to murder her husband so they could be together. She dies alone after this as he's too appalled to stay]].

* HotterAndSexier: The passing of nearly 40 years allows for a lot more nudity and one sex scene between Catherine and Kit.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Barbara's confrontation with the other woman in Jerry's life at his hanging results in pandemonium that allows [[spoiler: Jerry being cut down by friends and thus barely surviving]].

* {{Revenge}}: After the pandemonium at Jerry's execution, [[spoiler: a vengeful Jerry -- who barely survived -- rapes Barbara, knowing she can't go to the authorities without revealing her double life]].

This film was one of the most successful of the "Gainsborough Melodramas", a run of lavish costume dramas from Gainsborough Pictures that topped the British box-office in the mid-1940s. It was remade by Creator/MichaelWinner in 1983, with Creator/FayeDunaway as Barbara. While the script is faithful to the original film's to the point that its screenwriter gets a "Written by" credit alongside Winner, it is also significantly HotterAndSexier. It also may or may not have had a MidDevelopmentGenreShift into a deliberately {{Camp}}, comic take on the material -- some advertising presents it as such, but some does not.

Intoxicated by the experience, she embarks upon a DoubleLife and keeps on waylaying coaches until one night she and the real "Lucky" Jerry Jackson (Creator/JamesMason) target the same one. When Jackson, amused and surprised, learns her identity they become partners in crime ''and'' love. But as she seeks bigger thrills, lives are put in danger, people begin suspecting she's not all she seems, and her efforts to cover her tracks only make matters worse for everyone...especially as matters of the heart come into play.

Married life on a rural estate does not provide the new Lady Skelton with the excitement she expected and craves. After a visit by her detested sister-in-law, Lady Henrietta Kingsclere and her husband ends with Henrietta winning Barbara's jewels (including her most-prized possession, her late mother's ruby brooch) in a game of Ombre, and a chance remark about the notorious highwayman Captain Jerry Jackson, Barbara has an idea: Masquerading as Jackson, Barbara holds up Henrietta's coach and takes her brooch (as well as the rest of Henrietta's jewellery).

Intoxicated by the experience, she keeps on waylaying coaches, until one night, she and the real Captain Jackson (Creator/JamesMason) target the same one. After they relieve the passengers of their valuables and ride away, Jackson is amused to find his competitor is a beautiful woman. They become lovers and partners in crime, but some people begin suspecting her identity and she risks death if she continues her nefarious activities...

* BloodFromTheMouth: In the 1945 Margaret Lockwood film, Lady Barbara has a little blood coming from her mouth when Caroline finds her after she has been shot (probably a lung wound).

* LoveDodecahedron: Caroline loves Sir Ralph Skelton, but Barbara woos him away only for her to fall for Kit Locksby ''at her wedding reception''. Barbara ends up becoming Jerry Jackson's doxy -- ''one'' of them, anyway, complicating matters further -- and when she meets Caroline again after the latter's been away in London, she learns she's in a relationship with Kit that's reached the engagement stage. Kit still desires Barbara, but he knows he can't do anything about it because she's still married to Sir Ralph. [[spoiler: Caroline realizes that it would be better for everyone if Sir Ralph divorced Barbara, meaning they could switch partners, and the men agree. Unfortunately, on their way to reveal the good news to Barbara, she (in her disguise) attempts to murder Sir Ralph -- right after she offs Jerry -- and Kit shoots her to defend him. She succumbs to her injuries, but this still allows a happy ending for Sir Ralph and Caroline]].
* PublicExecution: Highwayman Jerry Jackson is sentenced to a public hanging after [[spoiler: Barbara anonymously tips the authorities off]].

The film was remade by Creator/MichaelWinner in 1983, with Creator/FayeDunaway as Barbara. While the script is faithful to the original film's to the point that its screenwriter gets a "Written by" credit alongside Winner, it is also significantly HotterAndSexier. It also may or may not have had a MidDevelopmentGenreShift into a deliberately {{Camp}}, comic take on the material; some advertising presents it as such, but some does not.

* BloodierAndGorier: In the remake, [[spoiler: Lady Barbara's]] demise is much more gruesome, [[spoiler: as she bleeds out much more heavily]].
* BreastAttack: In the 1983 remake, the titular Wicked Lady takes vengeance for a slight made by a peasant girl ([[Franchise/StarTrek Marina Sirtis]]) by expertly whipping her until she is stripped to the waist; the whip targets her breasts as well as her back.
* PublicExecution: Highwayman Jerry Jackson is sentenced to a public hanging.
* SeeYouInHell: In both versions Lady Skelton shoots [[spoiler: her highwayman lover, Jerry Jackson]], who dies saying to her, "To our next merry meeting, '''in Hell!'''"

Intoxicated by the experience, she keeps on waylaying coaches, until one night, she and the real Captain Jackson (Creator/JamesMason) target the same one. After they relieve the passengers of their valuables and ride away, Jackson is amused to find his competitor is a beautiful woman. They become lovers and partners in crime, but some people begin suspecting her identity and she risks death if she continues her nefarious activities.

The film was loosely remade by Creator/MichaelWinner in 1983, with Creator/FayeDunaway as Barbara.

* SeeYouInHell: In the 1945 Margaret Lockwood film, Lady Skelton shoots her highwayman lover, Jerry Jackson, who dies saying to her, "To our next merry meeting, '''in Hell!'''"