Brandy for the Parson
| Brandy for the Parson | |
|---|---|
 British theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | John Eldridge |
| Written by | Walter Meade John Dighton Alfred Shaughnessy (additional scenes & dialogue) |
| Based on | story Brandy for the Parson by Geoffrey Household |
| Starring | James Donald Kenneth More Jean Lodge |
| Cinematography | Martin Curtis |
| Edited by | John Trumper |
| Music by | John Addison |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Associated British-Pathé (UK) |
Release date | 20 May 1952 (London) (UK) |
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £50,000[1] |
Brandy for the Parson is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Eldridge and starring Kenneth More, Charles Hawtrey, James Donald and Jean Lodge.[2] It was based on a short story by Geoffrey Household from Tales of Adventurers (1952).[3] The title is a reference to the refrain of the poem "A Smuggler's Song" by Rudyard Kipling.[4]
Plot[]
Bill and Petronilla are a young couple on a yachting holiday. They agree to give a lift to friendly Tony and his cargo, who unbeknownst to them is a brandy smuggler. Before they know it, the couple are fleeing cross-country, chased by customs men.[5]
Main cast[]
- James Donald - Bill Harper
- Kenneth More - Tony Rackham
- Jean Lodge - Petronilla Brand
- Frederick Piper - Customs inspector
- Charles Hawtrey - George Crumb
- Michael Trubshawe - Redworth
- Alfie Bass - Dallyn
- Wilfrid Caithness - Mr. Minch
- Lionel Harris - Mr. Frost
- Richard Molinas - Massaud
- Reginald Beckwith - Scoutmaster
- Stanley Lemin - Customs officer
- Arthur Wontner - Major Glockleigh
- Frank Tickle - Vicar
- Amy Dalby - Postmistress
- Wensley Pithey - Circus owner
- Sam Kydd - Lorry driver
Critical reception[]
Allmovie called it "wafer-thin comedy";[6] and The New York Times called it "a mild but tasty distillate."[7] Picture Show magazine found it "well acted against a delightful background of English scenery, beautifully photographed", and the film's executive producer John Grierson described it as "a sweet lemon of a picture" with a feel of "old oak and seaweed".[8]
References[]
- ^ Group Three - a lesson in state intervention? Popple, Simon. Film History; New York Vol. 8, Iss. 2, (Jan 1, 1996): 131.
- ^ "Brandy for the Parson (1952)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012.
- ^ Louis XIV, the Sun King (Nick Jones). "Existential Ennui: Tales of Adventurers: Short Stories by Geoffrey Household (Michael Joseph First Edition, 1952)". existentialennui.com.
- ^ "Poems - A Smuggler's Song". kiplingsociety.co.uk.
- ^ howardmorley (16 August 1952). "Brandy for the Parson (1952)". IMDb.
- ^ Hal Erickson. "Brandy for the Parson (1952) - John Eldridge - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ^ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 7 October 2021.
- ^ Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, The British 'B' Film, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 116.
External links[]
- Brandy for the Parson at IMDb
- Review of film at Variety
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- English-language films
- 1952 films
- 1952 romantic comedy films
- British films
- British crime comedy films
- British romantic comedy films
- Films set in England
- Films set in London
- Seafaring films
- 1950s crime comedy films
- British black-and-white films
- 1950s British film stubs
- Romantic comedy film stubs