Mesmerized

Like the better known The Piano, Mesmerized is a period drama about a woman caught in a loveless marriage. A young orphan (Jodie Foster) marries a much older merchant (John Lithgow, with Kiwi accent). Hypnotism and voyeurism feature. Mesmerized (aka My Letter to George) was inspired by the case of Adelaide Bartlett in London. Shot mainly in the Bay of Islands, the movie was a co-production between RKO and New Zealand's Challenge Corporate Services. Actors' Equity protested at non-Kiwi actors getting all the main roles. American director Michael Laughlin had earlier shot film Dead Kids in Auckland.