Those People Next Door
Those People Next Door is a 1953 British second feature comedy film directed by John Harlow and starring Jack Warner, Charles Victor and Marjorie Rhodes.[2][3][4]
Those People Next Door | |
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Directed by | John Harlow |
Based on | the play Wearing the Pants by Zelda Davees[1] |
Produced by | Tom Blakeley |
Starring | Jack Warner Charles Victor Marjorie Rhodes |
Cinematography | Roy Fogwell |
Edited by | Dorothy Stimson |
Music by | Billy Butler (musical director) |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Eros Films (UK) |
Release date | February 1953 (UK) |
Running time | 78 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Plot
In Second World War era Britain, working-class Sam Twigg (Jack Warner) and his wife Mary (Marjorie Rhodes) are raising their family in the shadow of the Blitz. Their next door neighbours Joe (Charles Victor) and Emma (Gladys Henson) practically live in the Twiggs’ house, borrowing cups of sugar or using their Anderson shelter. Controversy arises when Sam's pretty daughter Anne (Patricia Cutts) becomes romantically involved with RAF officer Victor Stevens (Peter Forbes-Robertson). There is disapproval from Victor's wealthy parents, Sir Andrew and Lady Stevens (Garry Marsh and Grace Arnold), who object to the match on grounds of class. Lady Stevens even offers money to the Twigg family to call off the relationship, which enrages father Sam. However, when RAF man Victor is reportedly shot down in action, parental attitudes soften.
Cast
- Jack Warner as Sam Twigg
- Charles Victor as Joe Higgins
- Marjorie Rhodes as Mary Twigg
- Gladys Henson as Emma Higgins
- Garry Marsh as Sir Andrew Stevens
- Jimmy James as Drunk
- Patricia Cutts as Anne Twigg
- Peter Forbes-Robertson as Victor Stevens
- Anthony Newley as Bob Twigg
- Grace Arnold as Lady Stevens
- Norah Gorsen as Margaret Twigg
- Geoffrey Sumner as F / Lt Claude Kimberley
Recent assessment
According to Sky Movies, which gives the film three out of five stars, "The Rank Organisation had unexpectedly boosted its bank balance with comedies about the cockney Hugget family (starring Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison) in post-war years, but decided to end the series after four films. Unconvinced that this vein of comedy had been mined out, producer Tom Blakeley's Manchester-based film unit, which had made Frank Randle comedies in the war years, took an old play set in 1941, hired Jack Warner and a good cast, and let rip. Unfortunately, the characters were too unsympathetic and the piece still ran like a play, but the same distributors had better luck a couple of years later when they reunited Warner with Kathleen Harrison in Home and Away."[5]
References
- Murphy, Robert (15 August 2005). British Cinema and the Second World War. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826478979 – via Google Books.
- "Those People next Door (1952)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
- "Those People Next Door (1952) - John Harlow - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie".
- Spicer, Andrew (3 October 2003). Typical Men: The Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Cinema. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781860649318 – via Google Books.
- "Those People Next Door".