Buried Alive (novel)

Buried Alive is a 1908 comedy novel by the British writer Arnold Bennett. In 1913 Bennett adapted it as a play The Great Adventure. This later provided the basis for the 1968 musical Darling of the Day.

Buried Alive

Author	Arnold Bennett
Language	English
Genre	Comedy
Publication date	1908
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print

Synopsis

Priam Farll, a reclusive but celebrated British painter, returns home and to avoid public interest adopts the identity of his recently deceased valet. In turn his servant is given a state funeral. Farll is able to establish a peaceful new life until, needing to raise money, he begins painting again. Soon his works come to the attention of a connoisseur art dealer, threatening his happy new existence.

Film adaptations

The story has been adapted three times by Hollywood, firstly in a 1921 silent film version The Great Adventure starring Lionel Barrymore and Doris Rankin. In 1933 the novel was turned into a sound film His Double Life, directed by Arthur Hopkins and starring Roland Young, Lillian Gish and Montagu Love; it was produced by Paramount Pictures. A second adaptation, Holy Matrimony, was made by Twentieth Century Fox and starred Monty Woolley, Gracie Fields and Laird Cregar.

Bibliography

• Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.