History YMMV / TheWomanInWhite

* [[Film/TheWomanInWhite1997 1997]] [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] adaptation: [[AristocratsAreEvil Sir Percival Glyde]] is the [[DomesticAbuse abusive]], {{greed}}y husband of Laura Fairlie, whose villainy is shown to be [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil even more depraved]] than first seems. A [[WouldHurtAChild child]] rapist who frequently assaulted the 12-year-old Anne Catherick, Glyde got away with it by painting the traumatized Anne as insane and getting her locked up in a [[BedlamHouse cruel, isolating asylum]]. Glyde spends years abusing Laura and conniving his way into the family fortune, and when he grows paranoid that Anne could expose his molestation of her, Glyde works with his partner Fosco to kidnap Laura and disguise her as Anne, locking her away in the same asylum that [[DrivenToMadness drove Anne mad]]. Glyde then disguises Anne as Laura and puts her at the top of a tower, knowing the unstable woman would [[DrivenToSuicide leap to her death]] so that Glyde could pretend his wife was dead and gone. With the two women out of the way, Glyde hopes to secure their inheritance for himself, and when faced with his crimes, his only response is to mock his victims.

** Creator/AndrewLloydWebber's adaptation: [[AristocratsAreEvil Sir Percival Glyde]] is an ambitious social-climbing aristocrat who became infatuated with the young Anne when she was born. When Anne turned 15, Glyde beat and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped her]], and when she gave birth to their child, Glyde believed it wasn't his and [[OffingTheOffspring drowned it]]. Glyde then had the traumatized Anne locked up in an asylum to silence her. A few years later, Glyde marries Anne's half-sister Laura, whom [[DomesticAbuse he beats and abuses daily]], in order to get [[GoldDigger their father's money]], but when Laura rejects him, Glyde decides to fake her death by killing Anne in her place and then putting Laura in the asylum. On being confronted by Laura disguised as her sister's ghost, Glyde cruelly admits that he drowned Anne's baby and taunts that her secret won't ever get out. When Laura reveals herself, he tries to kill her as well.

** 1940 adaptation ''Film/{{Crimes at the Dark House}}'': The nameless [[TheSpook Spook]] taking the identity of "Sir Percival Glyde" is a [[GigglingVillain grinning, cackling madman]] who murders his namesake by hammering a nail into his skull as he sleeps, all to [[KillAndReplace impersonate him]] and inherit his estate. "Glyde" kills anyone who [[HeKnowsTooMuch exposes his secret]] or so much as inconveniences him, from a corrupt doctor he hangs using a bell rope as a noose, to a smitten young maid he strangles to death while gloating "you wanted to be a bride, so you shall--a bride of death!" "Glyde" takes advantage of his MaritalRapeLicense over his new wife Laurie the second he has her in bed, and even threatens to "break in" her sister as well. For the purpose of stealing Laurie's dowry, "Glyde" frames her as a runaway madwoman named Anne who happens to be an IdenticalStranger to Laurie, intending to have Laurie committed to a BedlamHouse for the rest of her life. To make sure the scheme goes off without a hitch, "Glyde" murders both Anne and her innocent mother as well.

** 1940 adaptation ''Film/{{Crimes at the Dark House}}'': The nameless [[TheSpook Spook]] taking the identity of "Sir Percival Glyde" is a [[GigglingVillain grinning, cackling madman]] who murders his namesake by hammering a nail into his skull as he sleeps, all to [[KillAndReplace impersonate him]] and inherit his estate. "Glyde" kills anyone who [[HeKnowsTooMuch exposes his secret]] or so much as inconveniences him, from a corrupt doctor he hangs using a bell rope as a noose, to a smitten young maid he strangles to death while gloating "you wanted to be a bride, so you shall--a bride of death!" "Glyde" takes advantage of his MaritalRapeLicense over his new wife Laurie the second he has her in bed, and even threatens to "break in" her sister as well. For the purpose of stealing Laurie's dowry, "Glyde" frames her as a runaway madwoman named Anne who happens to be a IdenticalStranger to Laurie, intending to have Laurie committed to a BedlamHouse for the rest of her life. To make sure the scheme goes off without a hitch, "Glyde" murders both Anne and her innocent mother as well.

** 1940 adaptation ''Film/CrimesAtTheDarkHouse'', the nameless [[TheSpook Spook]] taking the identity of "Sir Percival Glyde" is a [[GigglingVillain grinning, cackling madman]] who murders his namesake by hammering a tent peg into his skull, all to [[KillAndReplace impersonate him]] and inherit his estate. "Glyde" kills anyone who [[HeKnowsTooMuch exposes his secret]] or so much as inconveniences him, from a corrupt doctor he hangs from a bell rope to the pretty young maid he strangles for wanting to elope with him. "Glyde" takes advantage of his MaritalRapeLicense over his new bride Laurie the second he has her in bed, and even threatens to "break in" her sister as well. To gain Laurie's dowry, "Glyde" murders the mother of a local madwoman named Anne who looks just like Laurie, and passes Laurie as Anne to see her locked for the rest of her life in an asylum, while personally ensuring Anne herself freezes to death.

* HilariousInHindsight: In the 1981 Soviet adaptation, Alexander Abdulov plays Walter Hartright and Vladimir Zeldin plays Mr. Fairlie. Later, in the 1987 Soviet adaptation of ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', they star as Anthony Marston and Judge Wargrave respectively. [[spoiler:[[JustForFun/RoleAssociation Looks like]] Mr. Fairlie is still [[BoyfriendBlockingDad very angry]] about a commoner marrying his daughter]]…

* HilariousInHindsight: In the 1981 Soviet adaptation, Alexander Abdulov plays Walter Hartright and Vladimir Zeldin plays Mr. Fairlie. Later, in the 1987 Soviet adaptation of ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', they star as Anthony Marston and Judge Wargrave respectively. [[spoiler:[[RoleAssociation Looks like]] Mr. Fairlie is still [[BoyfriendBlockingDad very angry]] about a commoner marrying his daughter]]…

* HollywoodPudgy: In the 1997 TV version, the fat (and clean-shaven) Fosco was played by the average-sized (and bearded) Simon Callow. Similarly, in the 2018 adaptation, he is portrayed by the athletic Riccardo Scamarcio.

* CompleteMonster: In the 1940 adaptation ''Film/CrimesAtTheDarkHouse'', the nameless [[TheSpook Spook]] taking the identity of "Sir Percival Glyde" is a [[GigglingVillain grinning, cackling madman]] who murders his namesake by hammering a tent peg into his skull, all to [[KillAndReplace impersonate him]] and inherit his estate. "Glyde" kills anyone who [[HeKnowsTooMuch exposes his secret]] or so much as inconveniences him, from a corrupt doctor he hangs from a bell rope to the pretty young maid he strangles for wanting to elope with him. "Glyde" takes advantage of his MaritalRapeLicense over his new bride Laurie the second he has her in bed, and even threatens to "break in" her sister as well. To gain Laurie's dowry, "Glyde" murders the mother of a local madwoman named Anne who looks just like Laurie, and passes Laurie as Anne to see her locked for the rest of her life in an asylum, while personally ensuring Anne herself freezes to death.

* DesignatedHero: Walter is usually called the hero, despite being absent for a huge chunk of the novel. This may have been intentional, intended by Collins as a comment on Victorian sexism.

* InNameOnly: The late-1990s BBC television version. A letter to the ''Magazine/RadioTimes'' wondered why the writer had bothered to keep the same title, so great were the differences in the plot.

* FanPreferredCouple: Marian and Walter.

* LesYay / IncestYayShipping: Marian and Laura.
%%* MagnificentBastard: Count Fosco

* LesYay: Marian and Laura.

* HollywoodPudgy: In the 1997 TV version, the fat (and blond, and clean-shaven) Fosco was played by the average-sized (and brunet, and bearded) Simon Callow. Similarly, in the 2018 adaptation, he is portrayed by the athletic Riccardo Scamarcio.

* HollywoodPudgy: In the 1997 TV version, the fat (and blond, and clean-shaven) Fosco was played by the average-sized (and brunet, and bearded) Simon Callow.

* InNameOnly: The late-1990s BBC television version. A letter to the ''Magazine/RadioTimes'' wondered why the writer had bothered to keep the same title, so great were the differences in the plot.

* InNameOnly: The late-1990s BBC television version. A letter to the ''RadioTimes'' wondered why the writer had bothered to keep the same title, so great were the differences in the plot.

* MagnificentBastard: Count Fosco

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Isidor Ottavio Baldassare Fosco

* FanPreferredCouple: Marian and Walter

* AdaptationDecay: The late-1990s BBC television version. A letter to the ''RadioTimes'' wondered why the writer had bothered to keep the same title, so great were the differences in the plot.

* DesignatedHero: Walter is usually called the hero, despite being absent for a huge chunk of the novel. This may have been intentional, intended by Collins as a comment on Victorian sexism.

* AdaptationDecay: The late-1990s BBC television version. A letter to the ''RadioTimes'' wondered why the writer had bothered to keep the same title, so great were the differences in the plot.