The Scapegoat (1959) in Color — Starring Alec Guinness & Bette Davis

The Scapegoat (1959) — Buy This Classic in Color

Experience the masterfully suspenseful psychological thriller The Scapegoat (1959) colorized in stunning HD quality. Directed by Robert Hamer, this MGM production stars Alec Guinness in a brilliant dual performance as two men who are physically identical but morally opposite — a meek, lonely English schoolteacher named John Barratt and a ruthless, dissolute French aristocrat named Jacques de Gué. When the two meet by chance in a French railway station, Jacques contrives to switch lives with John, abandoning him to cope with a hostile household, a drug-addicted wife, a resentful mistress, a dying mother, and a murder plot — while Jacques vanishes with John’s passport and freedom. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, this is an elegant, sophisticated puzzle of identity and moral awakening. Now available as an instant, DRM-free digital download for only €15.00.

Plot Summary

John Barratt (Alec Guinness) is a mild, scholarly English schoolteacher on holiday in France — a man whose life is defined by its emptiness. He has no family, no close friends, no passion, and no purpose beyond his quiet academic routine. In a railway station he encounters Jacques de Gué (also Guinness) — a man who is his exact physical double but his moral opposite: aristocratic, charming, ruthless, and thoroughly corrupt.

Jacques, seeing his opportunity, gets John drunk and executes a diabolical switch. John wakes to find himself in Jacques’s château, wearing Jacques’s clothes, surrounded by Jacques’s family — while Jacques has disappeared with John’s identity. John is forced to impersonate the man whose life he has inherited, and what he discovers is a household in crisis. Jacques’s wife Bela (Irene Worth) is addicted to morphine. His mistress (Pamela Brown) is bitter, demanding, and suspicious. His mother (Nicole Maurey) is dying. His young daughter is the only genuinely loving person in the household, and she is the one most endangered by the dark currents running through the family.

As John navigates this dangerous masquerade, he begins to understand the web of deceit, greed, and potential murder that Jacques has constructed — and realises that Jacques has not merely escaped his own life but has set John up to take the blame for a crime. The meek schoolteacher must find within himself the courage and cunning to survive a game designed by a man who knows every rule.

Cast & Crew

Director: Robert Hamer
Stars: Alec Guinness delivers a tour de force, creating two completely distinct characters who happen to share the same face. His John Barratt is timid, decent, and painfully ordinary; his Jacques de Gué is silkily dangerous, morally bankrupt, and magnetically charming. The supporting cast — Irene Worth as the drug-haunted wife, Bette Davis in a memorable role as the sharp-tongued Countess — enriches the film’s atmosphere of elegant menace.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This professionally colorized edition enhances the film’s atmospheric French settings with era-accurate hues. The grand château interiors, the sun-dappled French countryside, the elegant period costumes, and the contrasting worlds of the two identical men gain wonderful visual richness through careful colour restoration. Now also available in colour.

Buy now for an instant, secure digital download with no DRM restrictions. Compatible with all devices that play MP4 files.

Historical Significance

Released in 1959, The Scapegoat was directed by Robert Hamer, best known for Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), and represents another exploration of the theme of multiple identities that fascinated both director and star. The film adapts Daphne du Maurier’s 1957 novel with intelligence and atmospheric style. Guinness’s performance — creating two utterly distinct human beings with the same face — ranks among his most accomplished screen achievements. Through colorization, this elegant psychological thriller is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes — professionally restored frame-by-frame
• Audio: Original English mono soundtrack
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — play anywhere, keep forever
• Instant download: Yes — available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Does Alec Guinness really play both roles?
A: Yes — Guinness plays both the meek English schoolteacher and the ruthless French aristocrat, creating two completely distinct characters with different mannerisms, voices, and physical bearing despite sharing the same appearance.

Q: Is Bette Davis in this?
A: Yes — Davis appears in a memorable supporting role as the sharp-tongued Countess, bringing her formidable screen presence to the complex household dynamics.

Q: Is this based on a Daphne du Maurier novel?
A: Yes — adapted from du Maurier’s 1957 thriller, which explores her characteristic themes of identity, deception, and the dark secrets hidden within seemingly respectable households.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file compatible with all modern devices and media players.

Q: Is there DRM protection?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free — you own it outright and can play it on any device forever.

Q: How do I receive the film after purchase?
A: You receive an instant download link immediately after payment. A backup copy of the link is also sent to your email address.

Related Colorized Classics

• Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
• Rebecca (1940)
• Our Man in Havana (1960)
• Gaslight (1940)
• The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)