With much of the rest of the world at war, a number of bored British aristocrats live dissolute and hedonistic lives in a region of the Kenya Colony known as Happy Valley, drinking, drugging and indulging in decadent sexual affairs to pass the time. On 24 January 1941, Josslyn Hay, the philandering Earl of Erroll, is found dead in his car in a remote location. The Earl has a noble pedigree but a somewhat sordid past and a well-deserved reputation for having affairs with married women. Diana Delves Broughton is one such woman. She is the beautiful wife of Sir John Henry Delves Broughton, known to most as "Jock," a man 30 years her senior. Diana has a pre-nuptial understanding with her husband that should either of them fall in love with someone else, the other will do nothing to impede the romance. Diana has indeed succumbed to the charms of the roguish Earl of Erroll, whose other lovers also include the drug-addicted American heiress Alice de Janzé and the somewhat more reserved Nina Soames. The Earl is more serious about this affair than any of his earlier dalliances, and wants Diana to marry him. She is reluctant to leave what she thinks is the financial security of her marriage to formalise her relationship with Erroll, unaware that Delves Broughton is deep in debt. Privately humiliated but appearing to honour their agreement, Delves Broughton publicly toasts the couple's affair at the club in Nairobi, asking Erroll to bring Diana home at a specified time. Delves Broughton appears to be extremely intoxicated for the rest of the evening; once he is alone it is clear he was feigning drunkenness. After dropping off Diana, Erroll is shot to death in his car not far from the home of Delves Broughton who is soon charged with Errol's murder. Diana is distraught over losing her lover, as is Alice, who openly masturbates next to his corpse at the mortuary. A local plantation owner, Gilbert Colvile, whose only friend is Delves Broughton, quietly offers Diana advice and solace and ultimately shocks her by proposing marriage. Delves Broughton stands trial. There are no witnesses to the crime and the physical evidence that appears incriminating is also circumstantial. He obviously had the motive and means, but is found innocent and the scandal comes to an end. De Janzé is dying of a drug overdose, and Diana discovers further evidence that implicates her husband in her lover's death. After menacing her with a shotgun, Broughton shoots himself in front of her. The film ends with a fleeing, bloodstained Diana discovering the remaining Happy Valley set partying around de Janzé's grave.
In 1969 James Fox and Cyril Connolly began investigating the case for an article in The Sunday Times called "Christmas at Karen". When Connolly died in 1974, Fox inherited his notes and theories, and returned to Kenya to do further research. The result was the book White Mischief, which was published in 1982. The title came from Black Mischief, Evelyn Waugh's satirical novel set in the mythical African kingdom of Azania. The New York Times called it "a fascinating book." The Boston Globe said "had "White Mischief" been a work of fiction, it would have required the collaboration of Agatha Christie and P. G. Wodehouse." While researching the book, Fox also collected information about Beryl Markham, which was turned into another film.) Film rights were optioned by Michael White, a friend of Fox's, while the book was being written. The director was Michael Radford, who wrote the script with British playwright Jonathon Gems, who had never worked on a film before. "Films of Africa should be made by Africans," said Radford. "This is a film of melancholy about people who have everything and yet have nothing. It's about people who want to possess what they can't possess." Richard Attenborough was offered the lead but turned it down because he wanted to focus on his direction. Obtaining funding for the film was difficult. Money came from a chain of Canadian cinemas, Cineplex Odeon, Goldcrest Films and Nelson Entertainment. The balance came from Columbia Pictures, then under David Puttnam as head of production. Filming took place from February to May 1987 at Shepperton Studios and on location in Kenya. Wrotham Park was used as Doddington Hall, the home of Jock Delves Broughton As the film was being made, the BBC broadcast a TV movie that dealt with the same story, The Happy Valley. Diana Broughton died in 1987.
Historical accuracy
De Janzé actually shot herself on 30 September 1941, while Delves Broughton eventually returned to England and committed suicide by morphine overdose in the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool in December 1942, over a year later. "There is a difference between fact and truth," said producer Simon Perry. "You can be truthful without being factual. It's inevitable there will be people who think Kenya was and still is a paradise of remittance men and black sheep of aristocratic families. Kenya was an exaggerated microcosm of society in Britain at that time, painted in primary colours with characters larger than life." Sir Jock Broughton's son, Sir Evelyn, complained that the film depicted his father as a murderer. He said his father was too drunk that night to have committed the crime and that Diana was more likely to have done it.
Reception
Box office
The film made a loss during its theatrical release. However, Jake Eberts reported that Goldcrest Films invested £1,300,000 in the film, and received £1,633,000, earning them a profit of £333,000. Fox said he was "ambivalent" about the movie, based on his book.
Legacy
In 1996, Mariette Bosch murdered Ria Wolmerans in Botswana. Both women were white South Africans. The case was referred to as "Botswana's white mischief".
