Kurt at 20:33, 17 March 2023

2023-03-17T20:33:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:33, 17 March 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=March 2016}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=March 2016}}~~
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Genevieve		\| name = Genevieve
	\| image = Genevieve ~~original 1953~~ film ~~poster~~.jpg		\| image = Genevieve (film).jpg
	\| caption = ~~Original 1953 [[lobby card]]~~		\| caption =
	\| director = [[Henry Cornelius]]		\| director = [[Henry Cornelius]]
	\| producer = Henry Cornelius		\| producer = Henry Cornelius
Line 136:		Line 134:
	==It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World==		==It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World==
	According to the commentary on the Criterion edition of ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'', nearly a decade later Rose used ''Genevieve'' as the basis for the former, another automobile comedy, but on a larger scale and set in Scotland. He sent an outline to [[Stanley Kramer]], who as luck would have it was ready to make a comedy after a string of intense dramas which had been critical successes but hadn't made money. Kramer agreed to buy the project provided they would change the setting to America. Rose agreed, and he and his wife Tania wrote the screenplay. Released in 1963, the film became the biggest box-office hit of Rose's career.		According to the commentary on the Criterion edition of ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'', nearly a decade later Rose used ''Genevieve'' as the basis for the former, another automobile comedy, but on a larger scale and set in Scotland. He sent an outline to [[Stanley Kramer]], who as luck would have it was ready to make a comedy after a string of intense dramas which had been critical successes but hadn't made money. Kramer agreed to buy the project provided they would change the setting to America. Rose agreed, and he and his wife Tania wrote the screenplay. Released in 1963, the film became the biggest box-office hit of Rose's career.

	~~==See also==~~
	* [[BFI Top 100 British films]]

	==References==		==References==
Line 160:		Line 155:
	* {{IMDb title\|0045808\|Genevieve}}		* {{IMDb title\|0045808\|Genevieve}}
	* {{Rotten Tomatoes\|genevieve\|title= Genevieve}}		* {{Rotten Tomatoes\|genevieve\|title= Genevieve}}

	~~{{Henry Cornelius}}~~
	~~{{Navboxes~~
	~~\|title = Awards for ''Genevieve''~~
	~~\|list =~~
	~~{{BAFTA Best British Film}}~~
	~~{{Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film}}~~
	}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Genevieve}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Genevieve}}
Line 185:		Line 172:
	[[Category:1950s English-language films]]		[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
	[[Category:1950s British films]]		[[Category:1950s British films]]
			[[Category:British comedy movies]]

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-03-17T20:19:46Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 15:19, 17 March 2023
(No difference)

en>Britfilm: add info

2023-03-17T14:46:15Z

add info

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Genevieve
| image = Genevieve original 1953 film poster.jpg
| caption = Original 1953 [[lobby card]]
| director = [[Henry Cornelius]]
| producer = Henry Cornelius
| writer = [[William Rose (screenwriter)|William Rose]]
| starring = {{unbulleted list|[[Dinah Sheridan]]|[[John Gregson]]|[[Kay Kendall]]|[[Kenneth More]]}}
| music = [[Larry Adler]]
| cinematography = [[Christopher Challis]]
| editing = [[Clive Donner]]
| studio = Sirius Productions
| distributor = {{unbulleted list||[[General Film Distributors|The J. Arthur Rank Organisation]] (UK)|[[Universal-International]] (US)}}
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1953|05|28|UK|1954|02|16|US}}
| runtime = 86 minutes
|budget=£115,000<ref>{{harvnb|Falk|1987|p=92}}</ref>
|gross=$1,050,000 (UK)<br>$400,000<ref>{{cite magazine|title=John Davis Cites Cases|magazine=Variety|url=https://archive.org/details/variety196-1954-11/page/n143/mode/1up?q=%22top+grossers%22|date=17 November 1954|page=8}}</ref>
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
}}
'''''Genevieve''''' is a 1953 British comedy film produced and directed by [[Henry Cornelius]] and written by [[William Rose (screenwriter)|William Rose]]. It stars [[John Gregson]], [[Dinah Sheridan]], [[Kenneth More]] and [[Kay Kendall]] as two couples comedically involved in a [[vintage car|veteran automobile]] rally.

==Plot==
Two [[veteran car]]s and their crews are participating in the annual [[London to Brighton Veteran Car Run]]. Alan McKim (John Gregson), a young [[barrister]], and his wife, Wendy (Dinah Sheridan), drive ''Genevieve'', a 1904 [[Darracq and Company London|Darracq]]. Their friend Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More), a brash advertising salesman, his latest girlfriend, [[model (person)|fashion model]] Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall), and her pet [[St. Bernard (dog)|St. Bernard]] ride in a 1905 [[Spyker]].

The journey to [[Brighton]] goes well for Claverhouse, but the McKims' trip is complicated by several breakdowns, and they arrive very late. As Alan cancelled their accommodation in their usual plush hotel during a fit of pique, they are forced to spend the night in a dingy run-down hotel (with a cameo performance by [[Joyce Grenfell]] as the proprietress) leaving Wendy feeling less than pleased.

They finally join Ambrose and Rosalind for after-dinner drinks, but Rosalind gets very drunk, and insists on playing the [[trumpet]] with the [[house band]]. To the surprise of all, she performs a hot jazz solo before falling fast asleep moments later, to Wendy's great amusement. (Kendall mimes the performance of "Genevieve" to a rendition by jazz trumpeter [[Kenny Baker (trumpeter)|Kenny Baker]].)

Alan and Wendy have an argument over Ambrose's supposed romantic attentions to her, and Alan goes off to the garage to sulk. Whilst he works on his car in the middle of the night, Ambrose turns up. Angry words are exchanged, and Alan impulsively bets the other man £100 that he can beat Ambrose back to London, despite racing not being allowed by the club. Ambrose accepts the bet—"First over [[Westminster Bridge]]."

The following morning, despite Rosalind's massive hangover and Wendy's determined disapproval of the whole business, the two crews race back to London. Each driver is determined that his car is the better, come what may, and they both resort to various forms of cheating. Ambrose sabotages Alan's engine, and Alan causes Ambrose to be stopped by the police.

Finally, on the outskirts of London ([[West Drayton]]), both cars are stopped by traffic police and the four contestants are publicly warned after Alan and Ambrose almost come to blows. At Wendy's insistence, they decide to call off the bet and have a party instead. But whilst waiting for the pub to open, words are exchanged and the bet is on again.

The two cars race neck-and-neck through the southern suburbs of London. But with only a few yards to go, Genevieve breaks down. As Ambrose's car is about to overtake it, its tyres become stuck in tramlines (London's tram network had closed in 1952, but many of the tracks were still in evidence when the film was made that same year) and it drives off in another direction. The brakes on ''Genevieve'' fail, and the car rolls a few yards onto Westminster Bridge, thus winning the bet.

==Cast==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[John Gregson]] as Alan McKim
* [[Dinah Sheridan]] as Wendy McKim
* [[Kenneth More]] as Ambrose Claverhouse
* [[Kay Kendall]] as Rosalind Peters
* [[Geoffrey Keen]] as First traffic policeman
* [[Reginald Beckwith]] as J.C. Callahan
* [[Arthur Wontner]] as Elderly Gentleman
* [[Joyce Grenfell]] as Hotel proprietress
* [[Leslie Mitchell (broadcaster)|Leslie Mitchell]] as Himself – Newsreel Commentator
* [[Michael Balfour (actor)|Michael Balfour]] as Trumpeter (uncredited)
* Stanley Escane as Newsreel cameraman (uncredited)
* [[Fred Griffiths (actor)|Fred Griffiths]] as Ice Cream Seller (uncredited)
* [[Charles Lamb (actor)|Charles Lamb]] as Publican (uncredited)
* [[Arthur Lovegrove]] as Hotel doorman (uncredited)
* [[Edward Malin]] as Spectator (uncredited)
* [[Edie Martin]] as Guest at Hotel (uncredited)
* [[Michael Medwin]] as Father-to-be (uncredited)
* [[Harold Siddons]] as Second traffic policeman (uncredited)
* Patrick Westwood as Motor mechanic (uncredited)
{{Div col end}}

==Production==
[[Henry Cornelius]] had made ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'' for Ealing Studios, but had left the studio to go independent. He approached [[Michael Balcon]] to make ''Genevieve'' for Ealing. However, given that Cornelius' returning would disrupt the studio's production schedule, and that he had not won any friends at Ealing by leaving, Balcon turned the film down, leaving Cornelius to have his film made for [[The Rank Organisation|Rank Studios]].<ref>{{harvnb|Barr|1998|p=46}}</ref><ref name="rank">{{harvnb|Harper|Porter|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UyYTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA386 49]}}</ref>

[[Earl St John]] was originally not enthusiastic to make the movie but agreed to take it to the Rank Board if the budget could be kept to £115,000. J. Arthur Rank agreed to provide 70% of the finance if Cornelius could source the rest elsewhere; the director obtained the money from the National Film Finance Corporation.<ref>{{harvnb|Falk|1987|pp=92–93}}</ref>

The original choices for the male leads were [[Guy Middleton]] and [[Dirk Bogarde]]; they turned the film down, and their roles were given to Kenneth More and John Gregson respectively.<ref>{{harvnb|Golden|2002|p=59}}</ref> Dinah Sheridan says that the studio wanted [[Claire Bloom]] to play her part.<ref name="brian">{{harvnb|MacFarlane|1997|p=538}}</ref> Sheridan was offered two other films around the same time (''Grand National Night'' and ''Street Corner'') and asked Dirk Bogarde for this advice:
<blockquote>He told me to take Genevieve if I got it. He had turned it down because he didn’t want to do comedy again. They didn’t want Kenneth More, they wanted Guy Middleton; they wanted Dirk instead of John Gregson, Claire Bloom instead of me and I can’t remember who they wanted instead of Kay Kendall. But we got on so well together and it worked. Ninety per cent of the credit must go to Bill Rose, a wonderful writer.<ref>McFarlane p 538</ref></blockquote>
Kenneth More was appearing in the enormously successful production of ''[[The Deep Blue Sea (play)|The Deep Blue Sea]]'' when [[Henry Cornelius]] approached him to play the part of Ambrose. More said Cornelius never saw him in the play, but cast him on the basis of his work in an earlier film, ''[[The Galloping Major (film)|The Galloping Major]]''. More's fee was £3,500<ref>{{harvnb|More|1978|p=157}}</ref> or £4,000.<ref name="new">{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Harold|title=From the 'Windmill' to the 'Sea'|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=29 May 1955|page=53}}</ref>

Filming took place between October 1952 and February 1953. More recalls "the shooting of the picture was hell. Everything went wrong, even the weather."<ref name="new"/> More says because of Cornelius' perfectionism the film went over budget by £20,000.<ref>{{harvnb|Falk|1987|p=95}}</ref>

Rutland Mews South, London SW7, was used during filming as the location for the home of Alan and Wendy.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.lurotbrand.co.uk/flipbook/mewsnews2010-spring/|title=Mews News.|magazine=Lurot Brand|issue=Spring 2010|access-date=19 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054111/http://www.lurotbrand.co.uk/flipbook/mewsnews2010-spring/ |archive-date=21 September 2013 }}</ref>

The themes of the musical score were composed and performed by [[Larry Adler]], and harmonised and orchestrated by composer [[Graham Whettam]] who wrote the orchestral scores incorporating Larry Adler's tunes. Dance numbers were added by [[Eric Rogers (composer)|Eric Rogers]].

The comedic tone of ''Genevieve'' was established by the following disclaimer at the end of the opening credits:
{{blockquote|For their patient co-operation the makers of this film express their thanks to the officers and members of the [[Veteran Car Club of Great Britain]]. Any resemblance between the deportment of our characters and any club members is emphatically denied—by the Club.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xYBlDQAAQBAJ&q=genevieve+movie+veteran+car+club+of+great+britain+emphatically+denied&pg=PA68|last= Loredo|first= Rodney|title=A Darracq Called Genevieve: The Story of Veteran Motoring's Most Famous Car|location=[[Poundbury, England]]|publisher=Veloce Publishing Limited|date=2016|isbn= 9781787110076|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref>}} This was meant to underscore the fact that the actual event portrayed in the film is not a race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.veterancarrun.com/media/340/time-on-trial-as-veterans-watch-their-speed|title=Time on Trial as Veterans Watch Their Speed|publisher=Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run press release|date=22 September 2017|access-date= September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922173427/https://www.veterancarrun.com/media/340/time-on-trial-as-veterans-watch-their-speed|archive-date=2018-09-22}}</ref>

==Cars==
[[File:1905 Spyker 12slash16-HP Double Phaeton photo1.JPG|thumb|right|The 1905 [[Spyker]] 12/16-HP Double Phæton that was used as Ambrose Claverhouse's car in the film. As of 2012, this car was held in the [[Louwman Museum]] in the Netherlands, along with ''Genevieve''. A still from the film can be seen in the background]]
The script for ''Genevieve'' originally called for the rivals to be driving British cars, Alan McKim a [[Wolseley Motors|Wolseley]] or [[Humber Limited|Humber]], and Ambrose Claverhouse a [[Lanchester Motor Company|Lanchester]]. No owners of such cars were willing to lend them for filming, and eventually Norman Reeves loaned his [[Darracq and Company London|Darracq]] and Frank Reese his [[Spyker]].<ref>[http://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/ontdekken/ontdek-de-collectie/spyker-12-16-hp-double-phaeton "Louwman Museum."] ''Louwmanmuseum.nl''. Retrieved: 4 November 2013.</ref><ref>Burgess-Wise, David. [http://www.donbrockway.com/Genevieve's%20History.htm "Genevieve's History."] ''donbrockway.com''. Retrieved: 13 February 2007.</ref> The Darracq was originally named ''Annie'', but was permanently renamed ''Genevieve'' after the film's success. ''Genevieve'' returned from a 34-year visit to Australia in 1992, and takes part in the London-Brighton Run every year. In July 2002, ''Genevieve'' and another Spyker participated in a 50th anniversary rally, touring the filming locations.<ref>Burgess-Wise, David. [http://www.donbrockway.com/Genevieve%20Rally%202002.htm "Genevieve Rally July 2002."] ''donbrockway.com''. Retrieved: 13 February 2007.</ref> Both ''Genevieve'' and Ambrose Claverhouse's Spyker were, {{as of|2012|lc=y}}, on display at the [[Louwman Museum]] in [[The Hague]].

==Reception==
''Genevieve'' was critically reviewed by [[Bosley Crowther]] for ''[[The New York Times]]'', giving the film a very positive appraisal. "On the strength of the current mania that some restless people have for automobiles of ancient vintage—what are fondly called "veteran cars"—a British producer-director, Henry Cornelius, has made a film that may cautiously be recommended as one of the funniest farce comedies in years."<ref>Crowther, Bosley. [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F04E7D8123EE53BBC4E52DFB466838F649EDE "The Screen in review: 'Genevieve' (1953)."], ''The New York Times'', 16 February 1954.</ref>

===Box office===
''Genevieve'' was the second-most popular film at the British box office in 1953.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58094591 "From London."] ''[[The Mail (Adelaide)|The Mail]]'', (via National Library of Australia), 9 January 1954, p. 50. Retrieved: 10 July 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Screen_Volume_32_Issue_3/page/n17|magazine=Screen|page=259|volume=32|issue=3|title=The popular cash and culture in the postwar British cinema industry|first=Janet|last=Thumim}}</ref>

In the U.S. it earned Rank rentals of $560,000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety201-1956-01#page/n602/mode/1up|page=5|title=2d Thoughts on Rank's N.Y. Times Ad|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 18, 1956|access-date=July 21, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> (Another account said $450,000.<ref>{{Cite magazine|magazine=Variety|url=https://archive.org/details/variety201-1956-01/page/n527/mode/1up?q=simba|date=11 January 1956|title=Ranks NY Times Ad Ups Eyebrows|page=10}}</ref>)

According to the [[National Film Finance Corporation]], the film made a comfortable profit.<ref>"U.S. money behind 30% of British films: Problems for the Board of Trade." ''The Manchester Guardian'', 4 May 1956, p. 7.</ref>

''Genevieve'' initiated a cycle of other comedies from the Rank Organisation.<ref name="rank"/>

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[27th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Story and Screenplay]]
| [[William Rose (screenwriter)|William Rose]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]]
| [[Larry Adler]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[7th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film from any Source]]
| rowspan="2"| ''Genevieve''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best British Film|Best British Film]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best British Actor]]
| [[Kenneth More]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[12th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Film]]
| rowspan="2"| ''Genevieve''
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with ''[[La Dame aux Camélias|The Lady of the Camelias]]'', ''[[No Way Back (1953 film)|No Way Back]]'' and ''[[Twenty-Four Eyes]]''.}}
|-
| [[National Board of Review Awards 1954|National Board of Review Awards]]
| Top Foreign Films
| {{draw|6th Place}}
|}

==It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World==
According to the commentary on the Criterion edition of ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'', nearly a decade later Rose used ''Genevieve'' as the basis for the former, another automobile comedy, but on a larger scale and set in Scotland. He sent an outline to [[Stanley Kramer]], who as luck would have it was ready to make a comedy after a string of intense dramas which had been critical successes but hadn't made money. Kramer agreed to buy the project provided they would change the setting to America. Rose agreed, and he and his wife Tania wrote the screenplay. Released in 1963, the film became the biggest box-office hit of Rose's career.

==See also==
* [[BFI Top 100 British films]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Notelist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harv|Barr|1998}}|last=Barr|first=Charles |title=Ealing Studios: A Movie Book|location=[[Oakland, California]]|publisher=University of California Press|date=1998|isbn=978-0-5202-1554-2}}
*{{cite book|title=The golden gong : fifty years of the Rank Organisation, its films and its stars|last=Falk|first= Quentin|year=1987 |publisher=Columbus Books Falk}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harv|Golden|2002}}|last=Golden |first= Eve|title=The Brief, Madcap Life of Kay Kendall|location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |publisher= [[University Press of Kentucky]] |date= 2002|isbn=978-0-8131-2251-9}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harv|Harper|Porter|2007}}|last1=Harper|first1=Sue|first2=Vincent |last2=Porter|title=British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference|location=[[Oxford]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|date=2007|isbn=978-0-1981-5935-3}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harv|McFarlane|1997}}|last=McFarlane|first= Brian |title= An Autobiography of British Cinema |location=London |publisher=[[Methuen Publishing]] |date=1997|isbn=978-0-4137-0520-4}}
* {{cite book|ref={{harv|More|1978}}|last=More|first=Kenneth |title= More or Less|location=London|publisher= [[Hodder & Stoughton]]|year=1978|isbn=0-340-22603-X}}
* {{cite book|last=White|first=James Dillon|title= Genevieve|location= London|publisher= Heinemann|year= 1955}} ("from the screenplay by William Rose").
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{tcmdb title|76080|Genevieve}}
* {{IMDb title|0045808|Genevieve}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|genevieve|title= Genevieve}}

{{Henry Cornelius}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Genevieve''
|list =
{{BAFTA Best British Film}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Genevieve}}
[[Category:1953 films]]
[[Category:1950s sports comedy films]]
[[Category:British auto racing films]]
[[Category:1950s comedy road movies]]
[[Category:British sports comedy films]]
[[Category:Fictional cars]]
[[Category:Films directed by Henry Cornelius]]
[[Category:Films set in Brighton]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:British comedy road movies]]
[[Category:Best British Film BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:1953 comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s British films]]

Genevieve (film) - Revision history

Kurt at 20:33, 17 March 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Britfilm: add info