His Excellency (1952 film)

His Excellency
His Excellency
Directed by	Robert Hamer
Written by	Robert Hamer (screenplay); W. P. Lipscomb (script contribution); Adrian Alington (novel) (uncredited);
Based on	His Excellency by Dorothy Christie & Campbell Christie
Produced by	Michael Truman
Starring	Eric Portman; Cecil Parker; Helen Cherry;
Cinematography	Douglas Slocombe
Edited by	Seth Holt
Music by	Ernest Irving
Distributed by	Ealing Studios
Release date	January 1952 (UK);
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	£109,000

His Excellency is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Eric Portman, Cecil Parker, Helen Cherry. It follows a blunt Yorkshireman and former trade union leader, who is sent to take over as Governor of a British-ruled island in the Mediterranean.^[2] It was based on the 1950 play of the same name by Dorothy Christie and Campbell Christie.

The play was also filmed for Australian television in 1958.

Cast[]

Eric Portman as George Harrison
Cecil Parker as Sir James Kirkman
Helen Cherry as Lady Kirkman
Susan Stephen as Peggy Harrison
Edward Chapman as the Admiral
Clive Morton as General Officer Commanding
Alec Mango as Jackie
Geoffrey Keen as Morellos
John Salew as Fernando
Robin Bailey as Charles
Eric Pohlmann as Dobrieda
Paul Demel as Chef
Elspeth March as Mrs Fernando
Howard Marion-Crawford as Tea shop proprietor
Henry B. Longhurst as Lord Kynaston

Critical reception[]

Britmovie quoted George Perry from his book Forever Ealing, "His Excellency retains a stagebound atmosphere. Its other great fault lies in the way it wastes the theme’s potential in a glib and artificial treatment. At times the film is like an Ealing comedy that got away, with familiar stereotypes such as the ladies who form the clientele of the ‘Old Tea Shoppe’, and the governor's staff. The governor himself tends towards caricature, retaining a shirt sleeves and braces attitude akin to a trade-union rabble rouser long after he should have made a transition to the respectability demanded by his appointment... Robert Hamer returned to Ealing specially to make this film, but compared with the promise of his earlier work it is disappointing and marks the beginning of his decline."^[3]

References[]

^ Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2003). British Cinema of The 1950s The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press USA. p. 285.
^ BFI.org
^ "His Excellency 1952 - Britmovie - Home of British Films". Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2016-08-11.

External links[]

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[sue-1] Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2003). British Cinema of The 1950s The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press USA. p. 285.

[2] BFI.org

[3] "His Excellency 1952 - Britmovie - Home of British Films". Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2016-08-11.

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