The Wicked Lady is a 1945 British costume drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwaywoman for the excitement.

The story was based on the 1945 novel Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton by Magdalen King-Hall which, in turn, was based upon the (disputed) events surrounding the life of Lady Katherine Ferrers, the wife of the major landowner in Markyate on the main London–Birmingham road.

In rural England in the late 1600s, Caroline invites her beautiful friend Barbara to attend her marriage with wealthy landowner and local magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton.

In a game of Ombre, Henrietta wins Barbara's prized jewels, including her late mother's ruby brooch.

Intoxicated by the experience, she continues to waylay coaches until one night, she and the real Jerry Jackson finally meet.

However, their plot to rob a huge gold shipment goes awry, resulting in the death of one of Sir Ralph Skelton's tenants.

She also manipulates the servant's religious piety, telling him that she wants to live an honest, clean life and is relying on him to show her the way.

When the coach with Caroline, Ralph, and Kit arrives, Barbara, still in disguise, hijacks it and attempts to shoot her husband, not knowing the three have agreed to find a way for both couples to be together.

[9] Mason and Lockwood's involvement in the movie adaptation was announced in November of that year, together with that of director Leslie Arliss.

In a 1945 issue of Picturegoer, Arliss said that it was Eleanor Smith (author of the book which had inspired his 1943 hit The Man in Grey) who gave him King-Hall's novel.

[14] The film was made at Gainsborough Studios in London, with location shooting at Blickling Hall in Norfolk.

[19][20] According to Kinematograph Weekly, the "biggest winner" at the box office in 1946 Britain was The Wicked Lady, with "runners up" being The Bells of St. Mary's, Piccadilly Incident, Road to Utopia, Tomorrow is Forever, Brief Encounter, Wonder Man, Anchors Aweigh, Kitty, The Captive Heart, The Corn is Green, The Spanish Main, Leave Her to Heaven, Gilda, Caravan, Mildred Pierce, The Blue Dahlia, The Years Between, O.S.S., Spellbound, Courage of Lassie, My Reputation, London Town, Caesar and Cleopatra, Meet the Navy, Men of Two Worlds, Theirs is the Glory, The Overlanders, and Bedelia.

[22] Problems with American censors made extensive re-shooting necessary before the film was released in the United States (according to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies).

The problems were that the women's dress bodices (appropriate for the era portrayed) were very low-cut and showed too much cleavage for the USA motion picture production code.

[24] Executive producer Maurice Ostrer reportedly wanted to make a sequel, but this was vetoed by J. Arthur Rank, who had taken over ownership of Gainsborough Studios.