H.G. Welles' story is quite Dickensian really, with its broad comic characters, social climbing and snobbery, sudden changes of fortune and happy endings. It was adapted by Launder and Gilliat.
Michael Redgrave (his first starring role had been The 39 Steps in 1938) plays the draper, Diana Wynyard the more upper class object of his affections and Phyllis Calvert is his one true love. With Arthur Riscoe as the theatre man, Max Adrian the owlish institute head, Michael Wilding (Under Capricorn, Stage Fright, The World of Suzie Wong, In Which We Serve) is the useless solicitor. With Edward Rigby, Hermione Baddeley, Felix Aylmer.
Arthur Crabtree is on camera. Made for Fox in the UK at Gaumont-British. Was it enough to amuse the Brits in the face of German bombing?
Reed had been directing since 1935, and had previously made The Stars Look Down, Bank Holiday and Night Train to Munich.
No comments:
Post a Comment