It's a Great Day
It's a Great Day is a 1955 British comedy film directed by John Warrington.[1] A spin-off of the popular soap The Grove Family, the film stars Ruth Dunning as Gladys Grove, Edward Evans as Bob Grove, and Sid James as Harry Mason.[2][3] Nancy Roberts, (1885-1962), as Gran, played the same rôle in the TV series.
Plot summary[]
A local builder, Bob Grove, has some temperamental differences with his Council Manager leaving him without a product to finish a housing estate. His son, Jack, recruits the services of an alternative supplier, of dubious character, to help him get hold of the materials required to finish work on the new houses. Things turn sour when Bob and his son, Jack, are suspected of stealing, leading to a situation which involves a police investigation. All this takes place around a planned Royal Visit, to the new housing estate.
Cast[]
- Ruth Dunning as Gladys Grove
- Edward Evans as Bob Grove
- Sid James as Harry Mason
- Vera Day as Blondie
- Sheila Sweet as Pat Grove
- Peter Bryant as Jack Grove
- Nancy Roberts as Gran
- Margaret Downs as Daphne Grove
- Christopher Beeny as Lennie Grove
- Victor Maddern as Charlie Mead
- John Stuart as Detective Inspector Marker
- Henry Oscar as Surveyor
- Marjorie Rhodes as Landlady
- Nan Braunton as Miss Jones
Critical reception[]
In discussing the original TV show, the Radio Times praised "The excellent Ruth Dunning and Edward Evans," but "the acting honours, and the popularity stakes, were hijacked by formidable Nancy Roberts as Gran. This cheaply made feature version of the show, produced quickly and efficiently by Butcher's Films with the original cast, now looks like a perfect period artefact. The plot is wonderfully naive, casting doubt on upright Mr Grove's integrity, and the cast is studded with marvellous 1950s faces such as Sid James, Victor Maddern, Michael Balfour and Vera Day. It's a treat for nostalgists and those who cherish that period of postwar austerity, when such a cosy family unit was perceived as the ideal."[4]
References[]
- ^ "It's a Great Day (1955) - John Warrington - Cast and Crew". AllMovie.
- ^ "It's a Great Day! (1956)". BFI.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Grove Family, The (1954-57)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "It's a Great Day – review - cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
External links[]
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- 1955 films
- British films
- English-language films
- 1955 comedy films
- British comedy films
- 1950s British comedy film stubs