The Astonished Heart (film) The Astonished Heart (film) The Astonished Heart is a 1950 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Celia Johnson, Noël Coward, and Margaret Leighton, and is based on Coward's play "The Astonished Heart" from his cycle of ten plays, "". Inspired by the great success of the 1945 film "Brief Encounter", which also had been adapted from "Tonight at 8:30", Coward agreed to have "The Astonished Heart" produced as a motion picture. As with the previous film, Coward also wrote the screenplay. Production began in 1949 and featured not only Noël Coward in one of his rare film
Tonight at 8:30 Coward adapted "Ways and Means", "Red Peppers" and "Fumed Oak" (called "Tonight at 8:30" in the US). Coward himself played Christian Faber in a 1950 film of "The Astonished Heart" (also starring Celia Johnson and Margaret Leighton). Television adaptations of "Red Peppers" were released in 1937, 1938, 1958 and 1969. "Still Life" was given a television production in 1951. The NBC-TV anthology series "Producers' Showcase" debuted on 18 October 1954 with "Shadow Play", "Still Life" and "Red Peppers", produced and directed Otto Preminger, starring Ginger Rogers in all three; Martyn Green also starred in "Red Peppers". "Hands Across the Sea"