Hindle Wakes was a 1952 British drama directed by Arthur Crabtree, featuring Lisa Daniely, Brian Worth, Leslie Dwyer, and Sandra Dorne. It marked the fourth screen adaptation of Stanley Houghton’s 1912 play, a story that explored a young woman’s defiance of her parents and society when she pursued a holiday romance. The independent Monarch Film Corporation produced and distributed the picture. It was filmed at Merton Park Studios in London with sets by art director Andrew Mazzei, while location work took place in Blackpool and Llandudno.
The story followed Lancashire mill girls Jenny Hawthorne and Mary Hollins as they travelled to Blackpool during the annual wakes week. There they encountered Alan Jeffcote, son of the mill owner, who had also come to the resort while his fiancée remained in London. Jenny, who had long admired Alan from afar, quickly formed a bond with him. When he persuaded her to leave Blackpool for Llandudno, she agreed. To conceal the truth, Jenny followed Mary’s advice and left behind a postcard for later posting, suggesting she had remained at the seaside. At Llandudno, Alan booked them into a hotel as Mr and Mrs Jeffcote.
Tragedy struck when Mary was killed in a boating accident. Her possessions were sent home, and among them was the unsent postcard. Jenny’s parents, already uneasy, became more suspicious when she failed to return to Hindle in the aftermath of the accident. On her return at the end of the week, she gave an account of her holiday that revealed she knew nothing of Mary’s death. When confronted, she admitted where she had been and with whom, but she insisted she would not feel guilty for her choices.
The Hawthornes confronted the Jeffcotes, determined to hold Alan accountable. Mrs Hawthorne believed the situation could be turned to advantage, while Mr Hawthorne was uneasy due to his long friendship with Jeffcote. To his surprise, Jeffcote accepted that Alan ought to marry Jenny. Mrs Jeffcote, however, objected, aware that Alan’s broken engagement to the daughter of another factory owner carried consequences. The families met, their discussion turning into argument, until Jenny declared that she had no wish to marry Alan. She explained that their time together had been nothing more than a brief fling. Her parents were devastated, while Alan and his mother felt relief. Alan returned to his fiancée, and Jenny resumed her life, finding companionship again within the mill.
HINDLE WAKES, Lisa Daniely, Brian Worth, 1952 © Alamy
HINDLE WAKES, Leslie Dwyer, Lisa Daniely, Joan Hickson, 1952 © Alamy
