Wicked Little Letters
Summary
Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley ’s dark comedyWicked Little Lettersis based on an unbelievable true story that act out ( almost ) how it dally out in the film . The motion picture open in 1920 as devoted Christian and proud spinster Edith Swan , played by Colman , receives the late in a long line of profane hate mail in the mail service . Upon receiving the 19th such letter , Edith in the end report it to the law , who immediately suspect her funky - mouthed neighbour Rose Gooding , played by Buckley , who vehemently denies being the one who sent the letters .
What trace is an staggering tale that rocks their small community of interests of Littlehampton . The tangible - life scandal seen inWicked Little Letters , now rain buckets on Netflix , became live as the Littlehampton Letters , and the casing is document inThe National Archives . Most movies that claim to be based on a true story take so many artistic liberties in their journey from the page to the screen that they barely resemble the genuine - life-time events they ’re dramatizing . But , as the opening title card claim , the upshot render inWicked Little Lettersare “ more reliable than you ’d think . ”
Wicked Little Letters Is Based On The Littlehampton Letters Case From The 1920s
The case was also known as “The Seaside Mystery”
Wicked Little Lettersdramatizes the veridical - sprightliness scandal of the Littlehampton Letters , also known as the Seaside Mystery . Edith get down have a series of letters filled with insults and profanity , much to the mortification of her stern , old - fashioned father Edward , playact in the film by Timothy Spall , and her kind , kind - hearted female parent Victoria , play in the celluloid by Gemma Jones . Since Edith ’s neighbor Rose was known for having the mouth of a sailor – and her once - thriving friendship with Edith had ferment – she instantly became the premier suspectin the case . Rose deny sending the varsity letter , but no one believed her ( initially ) .
Historian Emily Cockayne has written two books about the Littlehampton letters : nerve by Jowl : A account of NeighboursandPenning Poison : A story of Anonymous Letters .
Why Edith Swan Sent Fake Letters To Herself
It was a way of rebelling against her overbearing father
Themost surprising twist inWicked Little Lettersreveals that Rose was n’t the one writing the hateful letter to Edith ; Edith was writing them to herself . This is how the real - life case shook out in the end – it was revealed that Edith was sending hate mail to herself and pin it on Rose . It might seem unpaired that Edith would send herself detest ring armour , but it was a resolution of Edith ’s prideful don Edward constantly patrol what she could do or say . Writing those letters was the only way for Edith to release all her repressed angerand express herself .
Edith was very judgmental of Rose ’s loose utilisation of profanity , but she was secretly jealous that Rose could get by with saying whatever she wanted and face no consequences for it . Edith ’s father would never let her to use such language around the house – on a Wednesday ! – so Edith had to bottle up all her profane rage . This bottle - up fad manifested itself in the explicit alphabetic character that Edith wrote and sent to her own firm . This motivation is revealed uproariously towards the end of the pic when Edith in conclusion tells Edward to “ f * * * off ! ”
Rose Gooding’s Arrest & Prison Sentences Explained
Rose was found guilty of libel and spent a total of six months in prison
The pillow slip ofthe Littlehampton letters lead in four court showcase and three prison time . After Rose be active in next door to Edith in 1918 , the two became good friends . Edith give Rose a recipe for Indian relish and a knitting pattern for air sock , while Rose give Edith a tin bath . The friendship soured after Edith reported Rose ’s shivering parenting to the NSPCC , and shortly after that , the wicked trivial letters start up come out . Rose was straight off suspect of sending the letters , and despite a want of evidence , she was put on test on September 22 , 1920 ( viaRadio Times ) .
Rose was hold in prison until she was tried at Sussex assizes on December 13 , where she was get hangdog of libel and sentenced to a further 14 daytime in prison house . Rose lastly returned home after spending three month behind bar , but her troubles were n’t over yet . Edith kept receiving hateful letters and Rose was again suspected of sending them . Despite Rose ’s barrister using Edith ’s handwritten chutney recipe and knitting instruction manual to prove the penmanship was indistinguishable to the letter , Rose was still sent to jailfor another 12 months , this clip with hard labor .
How The Police Caught Edith Swan As The Writer Of The Letters
The police hatched a devious scheme to catch Edith in the act
During Rose ’s second prison house sentence , Edith continued to compose smut and even sent some salacious notes to the police , claiming she ’d found them near Rose ’s star sign . While this has been interpret as an effort by Edith to strengthen her case against Rose , the opposite happened . Police noticed similarities between the note that were supposedly drop a line by Rose and Edith ’s missive that accompany them , and lead off to suspect her . Rose was release from prison three month into her sentence and Edith became the new top defendant . PC Gladys Moss , played in the film by Anjana Vasan , was assigned to the case .
Gladys was sent by Scotland Yard ’s Inspector George Nicholls to watch Edith ’s sign from a nearby shed , where she witness Edith dropping off an obscene note at neighbor Violet May ’s house . Edith was put on test in 1921 , but the judge could n’t believe Edith would utilize such foul speech communication , so she catch off scot - free . In 1923 , to amass more evidence against Edith , the police mark a set of stamp stamps with exceptional inconspicuous ink and told the post berth to sell them to Edith . This allowed them to trace Edith ’s next letters back to her .
This is n’t quite as cinematic as the motion picture ’s personation of effect , which see Gladys ’ niece hiding in a postbox and expect for an salacious letter to be posted , but in both cases , Edith was finally caught ink-black - handed . In July 1923 , the Lewes Crown Court jury in the end found Edith guiltyof writing the distasteful little letters . Judge Avory still could n’t believe that a honorable , ostensibly good - natured Christian woman like Edith could write such foulness , but he respected the panel ’s decision and sentenced Edith to 12 calendar month in prison .
What Happened To Edith Swan & Rose Gooding After The Truth Came Out
Edith was sent to prison and Rose’s name was finally cleared
When the truth came out , Edith was sent to prison and Rose ’s name was finally authorise . A 1939 register prove that by that point , Edith was living in East Preston Institution , Worthing , a former workhouse renovate as a residential home do it as North View Home . Edith was listed as being incapacitated , and she last out at the same house for 20 years before she passed away . Edith died in March 1959 , long after the events ofWicked Little Lettershad made her notorious .
Source : The National Archives , Radio Times
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Cast
Based on a alien than fabrication rightful story , Wicked Little Lettersfollows two neighbour : profoundly conservative local Edith Swan ( Olivia Colman ) and rowdy Irish migrator Rose Gooding ( Jessie Buckley ) . When Edith and fellow residents start to receive wicked missive full of unintentionally hilarious profanity , repellant - mouthed Rose is charge with the crime . The anonymous letter prompt a internal uproar , and a trial ensues . However , as the town ’s cleaning lady - top by Police Officer Gladys Moss ( Anjana Vasan ) - get down to investigate the crime themselves , they distrust that something is amiss , and Rose may not be the culprit after all .
Image via Sony Pictures
Image via Sony Pictures
Image via Sony Pictures
