▁Terr iss , ▁L ill ian ▁Hall - D av is ▁and ▁James on ▁Thomas . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁a ▁G ains borough ▁Pictures ▁production ▁with ▁screen play ▁by ▁Eli ot ▁St ann ard ▁from ▁a ▁story ▁by ▁I vor ▁Mont agu . ▁ ▁Background ▁Bl ight y ▁was ▁Brun el ' s ▁second ▁feature - length ▁director ial ▁assignment , ▁four ▁years ▁after ▁The ▁Man ▁Without ▁Des ire . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁spent ▁the ▁interven ing ▁years ▁making ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁sat ir ical ▁bur les que ▁short ▁films , ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁im pressed ▁Michael ▁Bal con ▁who ▁offered ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁dist ribute ▁further ▁examples ▁through ▁G ains borough . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁Bal con ▁gave ▁Brun el ▁the ▁chance ▁to ▁direct ▁a ▁full - length ▁feature ▁for ▁G ains borough ▁and ▁Bl ight y ▁was ▁the ▁result . ▁ ▁Although ▁Brun el ▁was ▁initially ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁two ▁minds ▁about ▁direct ing ▁a ▁" war ▁film " ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁genre ▁on ▁moral ▁or ▁a est h etic ▁grounds , ▁he ▁agreed ▁to ▁go ▁ahead ▁with ▁the ▁prov iso ▁that ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁no ▁material ▁directly ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁conflict , ▁nor ▁any ▁appeal ▁to ▁j ingo istic ▁sentiment . ▁ ▁Plot ▁With ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Sir ▁Francis ▁and ▁Lady ▁Vill iers ▁( An nes ley ▁He ale y ▁and ▁Ell al ine ▁Terr iss ) ▁and ▁daughter