The Woman in White (1917 film)

The Woman in White (1917) is a British silent mystery film directed by Walter West, based on the 1860 novel of the same name by Wilkie Collins.

The film stars Marian Marsh as Laura Fairlie and H. Manning Haynes as Walter Hartright. It tells the story of Walter Hartright's encounter with a mysterious woman dressed in white, and his subsequent involvement in the affairs of Laura Fairlie and the sinister Sir Percival Glyde. The plot revolves around secrets, mistaken identity, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for personal gain. Key plot points from the novel, such as the resemblance between Laura and Anne Catherick (the woman in white), Glyde's attempts to acquire Laura's fortune, and the eventual unraveling of his wicked schemes, are likely represented in the film.

As a silent film, the narrative would have been conveyed through intertitles (text cards) and the actors' performances. While the film is not widely available today, contemporary reviews and synopses suggest that it remained relatively faithful to the source material. The film's success would have depended on its ability to capture the atmosphere of suspense and intrigue inherent in Collins's novel, and on the strength of its performances. Walter West was a prolific director of silent films in Britain, known for adapting literary works for the screen. The Woman in White (1917) is one of several silent adaptations of Collins's novel.