Fanny by Gaslight

Phyllis Calvert - Fanny
James Mason - Lord Manderstoke
Stewart Granger - Harry Somerford
Jean Kent - Lucy
Wilfrid Lawson - Chunks
Margaretta Scott - Alicia
Nora Swinburne - Mrs. Hopwood
Cathleen Nesbitt - Kate Somerford
Helen Haye - Mrs. Somerford
John Laurie - William Hopwood

Fanny, a pretty young girl, lives in London of the 1870's with her parents William and Mary Hopwood, over a West End pub. Hopwood also owns the 'place' next door, a rendezvous for young Society blades. In a brawl here with the dissolute Manderstoke, Hopwood is killed. On her deathbed, Mrs Hopwood tells Fanny that Hopwood was only her guardian, and that her real father is Clive Seymore, a Cabinet Minister. Fanny, now penniless, meets her father and he offers her a place as a maid-servant in his household. Fanny soon learns that Alicia, Clive's wife, is having an affair with Manderstoke. The affair leads to the suicide of Farmy's father.

Harry Somerford, a young aristocrat, falls in love with Fanny and proposes marriage, but out of deference to his family and position she refuses. They live together, however, in opposition to his family, and go to-Paris. There they meet Manderstoke, who is living with Fanny's childhood friend, Lucy, now an actress. A quarrel breaks out, and Manderstoke forces Harry to a duel. The latter is wounded but Manderstoke is killed and at last his evil shadow is lifted from Fanny's life. She and Harry return to London and eventually his family agree to their marriage.
Excerpt© 'Puffin Asquith' by R.J. Minney.