By his own wishes, Wilkie Collins' (1824 - 1889) tombstone bears the simple inscription "Author of The Woman in White," in homage to his enduring classic that once captured Victorian England's collective breath at the turn of each mysterious page. The tale was originally published in November of 1859 in serial form as part of Charles Dickens' All the Year Round magazine.
Each week, readers would anticipate the newest twist in the ever-turning plot of Anne Catherick (the haunting woman in white) and her double Laura Fairlie and their fate at the hands of the evil Count Fosco. Since its publication, The Woman in White has spawned several adaptations, including four silent films, a mini-series, a rendition on BBC's Masterpiece Theatre, a Finnish adaptation, and even a TV series.
One of the most successful endeavors was director Peter Godfrey's The Woman in White (1948) starring Eleanor Parker, Alexis Smith, Gig Young, and Sydney Greenstreet. Though the film takes significant detours from Collins' intricately woven plot, it still maintains a measure of suspense and holds true to the characters the author created.