The Wicked Lady

The Wicked Lady

Year: 1945

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: English

Director: Leslie Arliss

AdventureHistoryDramaCrime drugs and gangstersPassion and romance

The most daring pair danger ever designed! A married woman finds new thrills as a masked robber on the highways.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Wicked Lady (1945)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Wicked Lady (1945). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 17th century

Set in the late 1600s, a period of Restoration-era fashion, rigid social hierarchies, and evolving law. The countryside operates under the tension between propriety and libertine impulses, creating fertile ground for highwaymen and intrigue. Marriages and alliances drive the plot within a society that prizes reputation above truth.

Location

Rural England

The story unfolds across a sprawling English countryside estate and winding rural lanes. Villages, inns, and coaching routes frame the action, with the estate serving as a hub of wealth and social power. The setting evokes a world where appearances matter and crime is possible on even well-kept roads.

🌳 Countryside 🏰 Country Estate 🛣️ Coaching Routes

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:46

Main Characters – The Wicked Lady (1945)

Meet the key characters of The Wicked Lady (1945), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Barbara Worth (Margaret Lockwood)

Charismatic, beautiful, and amoral, Barbara is the schemer who uses disguise and wit to climb the social ladder. She revels in the thrill of crime, manipulating husbands, lovers, and servants alike. Her ruthlessness ends in a dangerous cascade of murders and a devastating choice between love and loyalty.

💃 Aristocrat 🕵️‍♀️ Deceptive 💎 Ruthless

Sir Ralph Skelton (Griffith Jones)

Wealthy landowner and local magistrate, he embodies propriety and authority. He is drawn into Barbara's world through marriage, seeking order and loyalty while being kept in the dark about her scheming. His sense of duty clashes with scandal and personal betrayal.

👑 Aristocrat ⚖️ Upright 💔 Married

Kit Locksby (Michael Rennie)

A charming, honorable suitor who becomes Caroline's fiancé. He values loyalty and truth, resisting Barbara's schemes even as he falls in love. He ultimately stands by Caroline and rejects Barbara's advances.

🎩 Gentleman 🤝 Loyal 💡 Resourceful

Captain Jerry Jackson (James Mason)

The notorious highwayman whose legend begins with a bluff and a blade. He partners with Barbara, sharing a dangerous chemistry and appetite for risk. His eventual capture and execution mark the film's turning point and moral reckoning.

🧭 Outlaw 💔 Charmer ⚔️ Adventurous

Caroline (Patricia Roc)

Barbara's beautiful friend who is drawn into the social circle's intrigues and ultimately marries Kit. She embodies loyalty and resourcefulness, helping to resolve the lives of the intertwined couples. She represents a more steadfast path amid deceit.

💎 Socialite 🤝 Loyal ❤️ Romantic

Lady Henrietta Kingsclere (Enid Stamp-Taylor)

Barbara's detested sister-in-law whose boasting about jewels and status triggers the early thefts. She is a catalyst for the plot and the envy that drives Barbara's murderous turn.

👑 Aristocrat ⚔️ Rival 💼 Wealth

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:46

Major Themes – The Wicked Lady (1945)

Explore the central themes of The Wicked Lady (1945), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Deception

Barbara repeatedly uses disguise and manipulation to control people and seize wealth. The double life as a respectable wife and a daring criminal drives the plot and exposes the fragility of social masks. The film explores how appearance can obscure ruthless ambition.

💔 Romance and Betrayal

A dangerous romance develops between Barbara and Jerry, then Kit, complicating loyalties and fueling betrayals. Love is weaponized to justify crime, while fidelity proves costly. The relationships become entangled with greed, jealousy, and a desire to redefine happiness at any cost.

⚖️ Consequences

Crimes, lies, and murders ripple through the story, culminating in an execution and a moral reckoning. The law and social rules fail to prevent Barbara's crimes, yet the narrative imposes its own sense of justice through tragedy. The ending binds personal guilt to the ruin of everyone involved.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:46

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The Wicked Lady Summary

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The Wicked Lady Summary

The Wicked Lady Timeline

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The Wicked Lady Timeline

More About The Wicked Lady

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More About The Wicked Lady

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