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	{{short description\|1954 film}}		{{short description\|1954 film}}
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	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = The Million Pound Note		\| name = The Million Pound Note
	\| image = ~~MillionPoundNote~~.jpg		\| image = The Million Pound Note.jpg
	\| caption = British theatrical poster		\| caption = British theatrical poster
	\| director = [[Ronald Neame]]		\| director = [[Ronald Neame]]
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			[[Category:British comedy films]]

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External links

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	*{{Amg movie\|101437}}		*{{Amg movie\|101437}}
	*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}		*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}

	~~{{Ronald Neame}}~~
	~~{{The Million Pound Bank Note}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Million Pound Note, The}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Million Pound Note, The}}

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en>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Gambling films to :Category:Films about gambling per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2023 January 5#Gambling media -> Media about gambling

2023-01-14T00:58:30Z

Moving Category:Gambling films to Category:Films about gambling per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2023 January 5#Gambling media -> Media about gambling

New page

{{short description|1954 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Million Pound Note
| image = MillionPoundNote.jpg
| caption = British theatrical poster
| director = [[Ronald Neame]]
| screenplay = [[Jill Craigie]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[The Million Pound Bank Note]]''|[[Mark Twain]]}}
| editing = [[Clive Donner]]
| starring = [[Gregory Peck]] [[Ronald Squire]] [[Wilfrid Hyde-White]] [[Jane Griffiths (actress)|Jane Griffiths]]
| producer = [[John Bryan (art director)|John Bryan]] [[Earl St. John]] Ronald Neame
| music = [[William Alwyn]]
| cinematography = [[Geoffrey Unsworth]]
| studio = [[Group Film Productions]]
| distributor = [[General Film Distributors]]
| released = 7 January 1954
| runtime = 90 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
}}
'''''The Million Pound Note''''' is a 1954 British [[comedy film]] directed by [[Ronald Neame]] and starring [[Gregory Peck]], [[Ronald Squire]], [[Wilfrid Hyde-White]] and [[Jane Griffiths (actress)|Jane Griffiths]]. It is based on the 1893 [[Mark Twain]] short story ''[[The Million Pound Bank Note]]'', and is a precursor to the 1983 film ''[[Trading Places]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2013/06/trading-places-more-than-7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-film-but-we-wont-bet-a-dollar-on-it-97192/|title='Trading Places': More Than 7 Things You May Not Know About The Film (But We Won't Bet A Dollar On It)|accessdate=December 25, 2016|date=June 8, 2013|publisher=[[Indiewire]]|author=Drumm, Diana}}</ref> It was shot at [[Pinewood Studios]] and [[location shooting|on location]] around [[London]]. The film's sets were designed by the [[art director]]s [[John Box]] and [[Jack Maxsted]]. It was released by [[The Rank Organisation|Rank]]'s [[General Film Distributors]]. The American release was handled by [[United Artists]] under the alternative tile '''''Man with a Million'''''.

==Plot==
In 1903, American seaman Henry Adams is stranded penniless in Britain and gets caught up in an unusual wager between two wealthy, eccentric brothers, Oliver and Roderick Montpelier. They persuade the [[Bank of England]] to issue a one million pound [[banknote]], which they present to Adams in an envelope, only telling him that it contains some money. Oliver asserts that the mere existence of the note will enable the possessor to obtain whatever he needs, while Roderick insists that it would have to be spent for it to be of any use.

Once Adams gets over the shock of discovering how much the note is worth, he tries to return it to the brothers, but is told that they have left for a month. He then finds a letter in the envelope, explaining the wager and promising him a job if he can avoid spending the note for the month.

At first, everything goes as Oliver had predicted. Adams is mistaken for an eccentric millionaire and has no trouble getting food, clothes, and a hotel suite on credit, just by showing his note. The story of the note is reported in the newspapers. Adams is welcomed into exclusive social circles, meeting the American ambassador and English [[aristocracy]]. He becomes very friendly with Portia Lansdowne, the niece of the Duchess of Cromarty. Then fellow American Lloyd Hastings asks him to back a business venture. Hastings tells Adams that he does not have to put up any money himself; the mere association will allow Hastings to raise the money that he needs to develop his gold mine by selling shares.

Trouble arises when the Duke of Frognal, who had been unceremoniously evicted from the suite Adams now occupies, hides the note as a joke. When Adams is unable to produce the note, panic breaks out amongst the shareholders and Adams's creditors. All is straightened out in the end, and Adams is able to return the note to the Montpelier brothers at the end of the month.

==Cast==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
*[[Gregory Peck]] as Henry Adams
*[[Ronald Squire]] as Oliver Montpelier
*[[Wilfrid Hyde-White]] as Roderick Montpelier
*[[Jane Griffiths (actress)|Jane Griffiths]] as Portia Lansdowne
*[[Joyce Grenfell]] as Duchess of Cromarty
*[[A. E. Matthews]] as Duke of Frognal
*[[Maurice Denham]] as Mr. Reid
*[[Reginald Beckwith]] as Rock
*[[Brian Oulton]] as Lloyd
*[[John Slater (actor)|John Slater]] as Parsons
*[[Wilbur Evans]] as American ambassador
*[[Hartley Power]] as Hastings
*[[George Devine]] as restaurant proprietor
*[[Bryan Forbes]] as Todd
*[[Gudrun Ure]] as Renie
*[[Hugh Wakefield]] as Duke of Cromarty
* [[Ronald Adam]] a Samuel Clemens
*[[Felix Felton]] as Alfred
* [[Richard Caldicot]] as James, the Butler
*[[Hugh Griffith]] as Potter
* [[Ann Lancaster]] as Doris
*[[Laurence Naismith]] as Walter Craddock
* [[Gibb McLaughlin]] as Sir William Collinge
*[[Ernest Thesiger]] as Mr. Garrett
* [[Percy Marmont]] as Lord Hurlingham
*[[Joan Hickson]] as Maggie
* [[Harold Goodwin (English actor)|Harold Goodwin]] as Horace
* [[Henryetta Edwards]] as Lady Jane
* [[Winifred Evans]] as Lady Hurlingham
* [[Jack McNaughton]] as Williams
* [[Hal Osmond]] as Arthur
* [[Mae Bacon]] as Alfred's Wife
* [[Peggy Ann Clifford]] as Assistant Matron
* [[Fanny Carby]] as Nursemaid at Belgrave Square
* [[Eliot Makeham]] as Consulate Official
* [[Hugh Latimer (actor)|Hugh Latimer]] as Hotel Receptionist
* [[Roddy Hughes]] as Clergyman
* [[Totti Truman Taylor]] as Singer
* [[Leonard Sharp (actor)|Leonard Sharp]] as Cabbie
* [[Willoughby Goddard]] as Stockbroker
{{Div col end}}

==Production==
The novel had been adapted for British TV in 1950 by [[Rex Rienits]]. Producer [[Daniel Angel]] bought the film rights to the adaptation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18495965 |title=Studio Gossip. |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney)|The Sunday Herald]] |location=Sydney |date=19 August 1951 |accessdate=6 June 2015 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Reception==
In the 21st century, Hal Erickson described it as "satisfying", with humor that makes the audience's laughter cascade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-million-pound-note-v101437|title=The Million Pound Note (1954) - Ronald Neame | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb title|0046072}}
*{{tcmdb title|id=19290}}
*{{Amg movie|101437}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Ronald Neame}}
{{The Million Pound Bank Note}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Million Pound Note, The}}
[[Category:1954 films]]
[[Category:1954 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British historical films]]
[[Category:1950s historical films]]
[[Category:Films scored by William Alwyn]]
[[Category:Films about brothers]]
[[Category:Films about poverty in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Mark Twain]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ronald Neame]]
[[Category:Films produced by Ronald Neame]]
[[Category:Films set in 1903]]
[[Category:Films shot in London]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Films about gambling]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s British films]]

The Million Pound Note - Revision history

Kurt at 14:07, 31 January 2023

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Gambling films to :Category:Films about gambling per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2023 January 5#Gambling media -> Media about gambling