The Seventh Veil

The Seventh Veil
The Seventh Veil film poster
Directed by	Compton Bennett
Written by	Sydney Box Muriel Box
Produced by	Sydney Box
Starring	James Mason Ann Todd
Cinematography	Reginald Wyer
Edited by	Gordon Hales
Music by	Benjamin Frankel
Distributed by	General Film Distributors (UK) Universal Pictures (US)
Release dates	18 October 1945 (UK) 15 February 1946 (US) DVD 2012 (UK)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£92,000[1][2]
Box office	£2 million (by Feb 1948)[1]

The Seventh Veil is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Compton Bennett and starring James Mason and Ann Todd. It was made by Ortus Films (a company established by producer Sydney Box) and released through General Film Distributors in the UK and Universal Pictures in the United States. The screenplay concerns Francesca (Todd), a brilliant concert pianist who attempts suicide while she is being treated for a disabling delusional disorder centred on her hands that makes it impossible for her to play. A psychiatrist uses hypnosis to uncover the source of her crippling fear and to reveal, one by one, the relationships that have enriched and troubled her life. When the last "veil" is removed, her mind is clear. She regains the ability to play and knows whom she loves best. The film's title comes from the metaphor, attributed to the fictional psychiatrist, that while Salome removed all her veils willingly, human beings fiercely protect the seventh and last veil that hides their deepest secrets, and will only reveal themselves completely under narcosis.