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{{short description|1951 film by Alexander Mackendrick}} | {{short description|1951 film by Alexander Mackendrick}} | ||
{{Infobox film | {{Infobox film | ||
| name = The Man in the White Suit | | name = The Man in the White Suit | ||
| image = | | image = The Man in the White Suit poster.jpg | ||
| caption = | | caption = | ||
| director = [[Alexander Mackendrick]] | | director = [[w:Alexander Mackendrick|Alexander Mackendrick]] | ||
| producer = [[Michael Balcon]] | | producer = [[w:Michael Balcon|Michael Balcon]] | ||
| writer = [[John Dighton]]<br> [[Roger MacDougall]]<br> [[Alexander Mackendrick]] | | writer = [[w:John Dighton|John Dighton]]<br> [[w:Roger MacDougall|Roger MacDougall]]<br> [[w:Alexander Mackendrick|Alexander Mackendrick]] | ||
| starring = [[Alec Guinness]]<br>[[Joan Greenwood]]<br />[[Cecil Parker]] | | starring = [[w:Alec Guinness|Alec Guinness]]<br>[[w:Joan Greenwood|Joan Greenwood]]<br />[[w:Cecil Parker|Cecil Parker]] | ||
| music = [[Benjamin Frankel]] | | music = [[w:Benjamin Frankel|Benjamin Frankel]] | ||
| cinematography = [[Douglas Slocombe]] | | cinematography = [[w:Douglas Slocombe|Douglas Slocombe]] | ||
| editing = [[Bernard Gribble]] | | editing = [[w:Bernard Gribble|Bernard Gribble]] | ||
| studio = [[Ealing Studios]] | | studio = [[w:Ealing Studios|Ealing Studios]] | ||
| distributor = [[General Film Distributors]] | | distributor = [[w:General Film Distributors|General Film Distributors]] | ||
| released = {{film date|1951|8|10|df=yes}}<ref name="Art & Hue">{{cite web|url=http://artandhue.com/shop/alec-guinness/|title=Alec Guinness |work=Art & Hue |date=2019 |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> | | released = {{film date|1951|8|10|df=yes}}<ref name="Art & Hue">{{cite web|url=http://artandhue.com/shop/alec-guinness/|title=Alec Guinness |work=Art & Hue |date=2019 |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> | ||
| runtime = 85 minutes | | runtime = 85 minutes | ||
| Line 23: | Line 20: | ||
|gross=£90,000<ref name="sue">{{cite book|title=British Cinema of The 1950s The Decline of Deference|first1=Sue|last1= Harper|first2=Vincent|last2= Porter|publisher=Oxford University Press USA|year=2003|page=285}}</ref> | |gross=£90,000<ref name="sue">{{cite book|title=British Cinema of The 1950s The Decline of Deference|first1=Sue|last1= Harper|first2=Vincent|last2= Porter|publisher=Oxford University Press USA|year=2003|page=285}}</ref> | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Man in the White Suit''''' is a 1951 British [[satire|satirical]] [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[comedy film]] made by [[Ealing Studios]]. It stars [[Alec Guinness]], [[Joan Greenwood]] and [[Cecil Parker]] and was directed by [[Alexander Mackendrick]]. The film was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay)]] for [[Roger MacDougall]], [[John Dighton]] and [[Alexander Mackendrick]]. | '''''The Man in the White Suit''''' is a 1951 British [[w:satire|satirical]] [[w:science fiction film|science fiction]] [[w:comedy film|comedy film]] made by [[w:Ealing Studios]]. It stars [[w:Alec Guinness|Alec Guinness]], [[w:Joan Greenwood|Joan Greenwood]] and [[w:Cecil Parker|Cecil Parker]] and was directed by [[w:Alexander Mackendrick|Alexander Mackendrick]]. The film was nominated for an [[w:Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay)]] for [[w:Roger MacDougall|Roger MacDougall]], [[w:John Dighton|John Dighton]] and [[w:Alexander Mackendrick|Alexander Mackendrick]]. | ||
It followed a common [[Ealing Studios]] theme of the "common man" against [[the Establishment]]. In this instance the hero falls foul of both [[trade union]]s and the wealthy mill owners who attempt to suppress his invention.<ref>{{cite book |title=British national cinema |last=Street |first=Sarah |year=2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=London |isbn=978-0-415-38422-3 |page=81}}</ref> | It followed a common [[w:Ealing Studios|Ealing Studios]] theme of the "common man" against [[w:the Establishment|the Establishment]]. In this instance the hero falls foul of both [[w:trade union|trade union]]s and the wealthy mill owners who attempt to suppress his invention.<ref>{{cite book |title=British national cinema |last=Street |first=Sarah |year=2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=London |isbn=978-0-415-38422-3 |page=81}}</ref> | ||
[[Mandy Miller]] (aged only 6) made her first film appearance in this film. | [[w:Mandy Miller|Mandy Miller]] (aged only 6) made her first film appearance in this film. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
Sidney ("Sid") Stratton, a brilliant young research [[chemist]] and former [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] scholarship recipient, has been dismissed from jobs at several [[textile mill]]s in the [[Northern England|north of England]] because of his demands for expensive facilities and his obsession with inventing an everlasting [[fibre]]. Whilst working as a labourer at the Birnley Mills, he accidentally becomes an unpaid researcher and invents an incredibly strong fibre which repels dirt and never wears out. From this fabric, a suit is made—which is brilliant white because it cannot absorb dye and slightly luminous because it includes [[radioactive]] elements. | Sidney ("Sid") Stratton, a brilliant young research [[w:chemist|chemist]] and former [[w:University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] scholarship recipient, has been dismissed from jobs at several [[w:textile mill|textile mill]]s in the [[w:Northern England|north of England]] because of his demands for expensive facilities and his obsession with inventing an everlasting [[w:fibre|fibre]]. Whilst working as a labourer at the Birnley Mills, he accidentally becomes an unpaid researcher and invents an incredibly strong fibre which repels dirt and never wears out. From this fabric, a suit is made—which is brilliant white because it cannot absorb dye and slightly luminous because it includes [[w:radioactive|radioactive]] elements. | ||
Stratton is lauded as a genius until both management and the trade unions realise the consequence of his invention; once consumers have purchased enough cloth, demand will drop precipitously and put the textile industry out of business. The managers try to trick and bribe Stratton into signing away the rights to his invention but he refuses. Managers and workers each try to shut him away, but he escapes. | Stratton is lauded as a genius until both management and the trade unions realise the consequence of his invention; once consumers have purchased enough cloth, demand will drop precipitously and put the textile industry out of business. The managers try to trick and bribe Stratton into signing away the rights to his invention but he refuses. Managers and workers each try to shut him away, but he escapes. | ||
| Line 42: | Line 39: | ||
==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
{{div col}} | {{div col}} | ||
*[[Alec Guinness]] as Sidney Stratton | *[[w:Alec Guinness|Alec Guinness]] as Sidney Stratton | ||
*[[Joan Greenwood]] as Daphne Birnley | *[[w:Joan Greenwood|Joan Greenwood]] as Daphne Birnley | ||
*[[Cecil Parker]] as Alan Birnley | *[[w:Cecil Parker|Cecil Parker]] as Alan Birnley | ||
*[[Michael Gough]] as Michael Corland | *[[w:Michael Gough|Michael Gough]] as Michael Corland | ||
*[[Ernest Thesiger]] as Sir John Kierlaw | *[[w:Ernest Thesiger|Ernest Thesiger]] as Sir John Kierlaw | ||
*[[Howard Marion-Crawford]] as Cranford | *[[w:Howard Marion-Crawford|Howard Marion-Crawford]] as Cranford | ||
*[[Henry Mollison]] as Hoskins | *[[w:Henry Mollison|Henry Mollison]] as Hoskins | ||
*[[Vida Hope]] as Bertha | *[[w:Vida Hope|Vida Hope]] as Bertha | ||
*[[Patric Doonan]] as Frank | *[[w:Patric Doonan|Patric Doonan]] as Frank | ||
*[[Duncan Lamont]] as Harry | *[[w:Duncan Lamont|Duncan Lamont]] as Harry | ||
*[[Harold Goodwin (English actor)|Harold Goodwin]] as Wilkins | *[[w:Harold Goodwin (English actor)|Harold Goodwin]] as Wilkins | ||
*[[Colin Gordon]] as Hill | *[[w:Colin Gordon|Colin Gordon]] as Hill | ||
*Joan Harben as Miss Johnson | *Joan Harben as Miss Johnson | ||
*[[Arthur Howard]] as Roberts | *[[w:Arthur Howard|Arthur Howard]] as Roberts | ||
*[[Roddy Hughes]] as Green | *[[w:Roddy Hughes|Roddy Hughes]] as Green | ||
*[[Stuart Latham]] as Harrison | *[[w:Stuart Latham|Stuart Latham]] as Harrison | ||
*[[Miles Malleson]] as the Tailor | *[[Miles Malleson]] as the Tailor | ||
*[[Edie Martin]] as Mrs. Watson | *[[w:Edie Martin|Edie Martin]] as Mrs. Watson | ||
*[[Mandy Miller]] as Gladdie, little girl who sends a message for Stratton | *[[w:Mandy Miller|Mandy Miller]] as Gladdie, little girl who sends a message for Stratton | ||
*[[Charlotte Mitchell]] as Mill Girl | *[[w:Charlotte Mitchell|Charlotte Mitchell]] as Mill Girl | ||
*Olaf Olsen as Knudsen | *Olaf Olsen as Knudsen | ||
*[[Desmond Roberts]] as Mannering | *[[w:Desmond Roberts|Desmond Roberts]] as Mannering | ||
*[[Ewan Roberts]] as Fotheringay | *[[w:Ewan Roberts|Ewan Roberts]] as Fotheringay | ||
*[[John Rudling]] as Wilson | *[[w:John Rudling|John Rudling]] as Wilson | ||
*Charles Saynor as Pete | *Charles Saynor as Pete | ||
*[[Russell Waters]] as Davidson | *[[w:Russell Waters|Russell Waters]] as Davidson | ||
*[[Brian Worth (actor)|Brian Worth]] as King | *[[w:Brian Worth (actor)|Brian Worth]] as King | ||
*[[George Benson (actor)|George Benson]] as the Lodger | *[[w:George Benson (actor)|George Benson]] as the Lodger | ||
*[[Frank Atkinson (actor)|Frank Atkinson]] as the Baker | *[[w:Frank Atkinson (actor)|Frank Atkinson]] as the Baker | ||
*[[Charles Cullum]] as 1st Company Director | *[[w:Charles Cullum|Charles Cullum]] as 1st Company Director | ||
*F.B.J. Sharp as 2nd Company Director | *F.B.J. Sharp as 2nd Company Director | ||
*Scott Harold as Express Reporter | *Scott Harold as Express Reporter | ||
*[[Jack Howarth (actor)|Jack Howarth]] as Receptionist at Corland Mill | *[[Jack Howarth (actor)|Jack Howarth]] as Receptionist at Corland Mill | ||
*[[Jack McNaughton]] as Taxi Driver | *[[w:Jack McNaughton|Jack McNaughton]] as Taxi Driver | ||
*[[Judith Furse]] as Nurse Gamage | *[[w:Judith Furse|Judith Furse]] as Nurse Gamage | ||
*[[Billy Russell (comedian)|Billy Russell]] as Nightwatchman | *[[Billy Russell (comedian)|Billy Russell]] as Nightwatchman | ||
{{div col end}} | {{div col end}} | ||
| Line 84: | Line 81: | ||
==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
The film opened at the [[Odeon Marble Arch]] cinema in London on 10 August 1951,<ref name="Art & Hue">{{cite web|url=http://artandhue.com/shop/alec-guinness/|title=Alec Guinness |work=Art & Hue |date=2019 |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> and was one of the most popular films of the year in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133558644 |title=The Queen Year's Leading Figure. |newspaper=[[The Newcastle Herald|Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=31 December 1952 |access-date=19 April 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It earned rentals of $460,000 in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=Alec Guinness Now Money Star in US|url=https://archive.org/details/variety193-1954-01/page/n293|page=2|date=13 January 1954}}</ref> (This figure was also given as $500,000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety206-1957-03/page/n9/mode/1up?q=%22west+of+zanzibar%22|magazine=Variety|title=Rank's Rebel Yell|date=6 March 1957|page=10}}</ref>) | The film opened at the [[w:Odeon Marble Arch|Odeon Marble Arch]] cinema in London on 10 August 1951,<ref name="Art & Hue">{{cite web|url=http://artandhue.com/shop/alec-guinness/|title=Alec Guinness |work=Art & Hue |date=2019 |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> and was one of the most popular films of the year in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133558644 |title=The Queen Year's Leading Figure. |newspaper=[[w:The Newcastle Herald|Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=31 December 1952 |access-date=19 April 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It earned rentals of $460,000 in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=Alec Guinness Now Money Star in US|url=https://archive.org/details/variety193-1954-01/page/n293|page=2|date=13 January 1954}}</ref> (This figure was also given as $500,000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety206-1957-03/page/n9/mode/1up?q=%22west+of+zanzibar%22|magazine=Variety|title=Rank's Rebel Yell|date=6 March 1957|page=10}}</ref>) | ||
The [[British Film Institute]] named it the [[BFI Top 100 British films|58th greatest British film]] of all time. In 2014 ''[[The Guardian]]'' included it as one of the twenty best British [[science fiction]] films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2014/nov/23/the-20-best-british-science-fiction-films-in-pictures|title=The 20 best British science fiction films – in pictures|first=Greg|last=Whitmore|date=23 November 2014|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> | The [[w:British Film Institute|British Film Institute]] named it the [[w:BFI Top 100 British films|58th greatest British film]] of all time. In 2014 ''[[w:The Guardian|The Guardian]]'' included it as one of the twenty best British [[w:science fiction|science fiction]] films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2014/nov/23/the-20-best-british-science-fiction-films-in-pictures|title=The 20 best British science fiction films – in pictures|first=Greg|last=Whitmore|date=23 November 2014|work=[[w:The Guardian|The Guardian]]}}</ref> | ||
== Stage adaptation == | == Stage adaptation == | ||
A [[The Man in the White Suit (play)|stage play]] based on the film directed by [[Sean Foley (director)|Sean Foley]] and starring [[Stephen Mangan]] and [[Kara Tointon]] opened at the [[Theatre Royal, Bath]] in September 2019 before transferring to the [[Wyndham's Theatre]] in London's [[West End theatre|West End]]. | A [[w:The Man in the White Suit (play)|stage play]] based on the film directed by [[w:Sean Foley (director)|Sean Foley]] and starring [[w:Stephen Mangan|Stephen Mangan]] and [[w:Kara Tointon|Kara Tointon]] opened at the [[w:Theatre Royal, Bath|Theatre Royal]] in September 2019 before transferring to the [[w:Wyndham's Theatre|Wyndham's Theatre]] in London's [[w:West End theatre|West End]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 99: | Line 96: | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
*{{Internet Archive film | TheManInTheWhiteSuit1951_201810 | The Man in the White Suit}} | *{{Internet Archive film | TheManInTheWhiteSuit1951_201810 | The Man in the White Suit}} | ||
*{{IMDb title| | *{{IMDb title|0044876|The Man in the White Suit}} | ||
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|man_in_the_white_suit}} | *{{Rotten Tomatoes|man_in_the_white_suit}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Man in the White Suit, The}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Man in the White Suit, The}} | ||
| Line 116: | Line 110: | ||
[[Category:Films set in Manchester]] | [[Category:Films set in Manchester]] | ||
[[Category:Ealing Studios films]] | [[Category:Ealing Studios films]] | ||
[[Category:1951 comedy films]] | [[Category:1951 comedy films]] | ||
[[Category:1950s business films]] | [[Category:1950s business films]] | ||
| Line 124: | Line 115: | ||
[[Category:1950s English-language films]] | [[Category:1950s English-language films]] | ||
[[Category:1950s British films]] | [[Category:1950s British films]] | ||
[[Category:British comedy films]] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:07, 26 January 2023
| The Man in the White Suit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alexander Mackendrick |
| Written by | John Dighton Roger MacDougall Alexander Mackendrick |
| Produced by | Michael Balcon |
| Starring | Alec Guinness Joan Greenwood Cecil Parker |
| Cinematography | Douglas Slocombe |
| Edited by | Bernard Gribble |
| Music by | Benjamin Frankel |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £90,000[2] |
The Man in the White Suit is a 1951 British satirical science fiction comedy film made by w:Ealing Studios. It stars Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker and was directed by Alexander Mackendrick. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay) for Roger MacDougall, John Dighton and Alexander Mackendrick.
It followed a common Ealing Studios theme of the "common man" against the Establishment. In this instance the hero falls foul of both trade unions and the wealthy mill owners who attempt to suppress his invention.[3]
Mandy Miller (aged only 6) made her first film appearance in this film.
Plot
Sidney ("Sid") Stratton, a brilliant young research chemist and former Cambridge scholarship recipient, has been dismissed from jobs at several textile mills in the north of England because of his demands for expensive facilities and his obsession with inventing an everlasting fibre. Whilst working as a labourer at the Birnley Mills, he accidentally becomes an unpaid researcher and invents an incredibly strong fibre which repels dirt and never wears out. From this fabric, a suit is made—which is brilliant white because it cannot absorb dye and slightly luminous because it includes radioactive elements.
Stratton is lauded as a genius until both management and the trade unions realise the consequence of his invention; once consumers have purchased enough cloth, demand will drop precipitously and put the textile industry out of business. The managers try to trick and bribe Stratton into signing away the rights to his invention but he refuses. Managers and workers each try to shut him away, but he escapes.
The bosses negotiate with Daphne, the daughter of the owner of Birnley Mills, that she will trick Stratton into giving it all up and she asks £5000 for this, but when she meets Stratton she has a change of heart and encourages him to announce his invention to the press. Going back to his rooms he is confronted by a woman who he thought was on his side, but suddenly realises that no-one wants his invention.
The climax sees Stratton running through the streets at night in his glowing white suit, pursued by both the managers and the employees. As the crowd advances, his suit begins to fall apart as the chemical structure of the fibre breaks down with time. The mob, realising the flaw in the process, rip pieces off his suit in triumph, until he is left standing in his shirt and underwear. Only Daphne Birnley, the mill-owner's daughter, and Bertha, a works labourer, have sympathy for his disappointment.
The next day, Stratton is dismissed from his job. Departing, he consults his chemistry notes. A realisation hits and he exclaims, "I see!" With that he strides off, perhaps to try again elsewhere.
Cast
- Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton
- Joan Greenwood as Daphne Birnley
- Cecil Parker as Alan Birnley
- Michael Gough as Michael Corland
- Ernest Thesiger as Sir John Kierlaw
- Howard Marion-Crawford as Cranford
- Henry Mollison as Hoskins
- Vida Hope as Bertha
- Patric Doonan as Frank
- Duncan Lamont as Harry
- Harold Goodwin as Wilkins
- Colin Gordon as Hill
- Joan Harben as Miss Johnson
- Arthur Howard as Roberts
- Roddy Hughes as Green
- Stuart Latham as Harrison
- Miles Malleson as the Tailor
- Edie Martin as Mrs. Watson
- Mandy Miller as Gladdie, little girl who sends a message for Stratton
- Charlotte Mitchell as Mill Girl
- Olaf Olsen as Knudsen
- Desmond Roberts as Mannering
- Ewan Roberts as Fotheringay
- John Rudling as Wilson
- Charles Saynor as Pete
- Russell Waters as Davidson
- Brian Worth as King
- George Benson as the Lodger
- Frank Atkinson as the Baker
- Charles Cullum as 1st Company Director
- F.B.J. Sharp as 2nd Company Director
- Scott Harold as Express Reporter
- Jack Howarth as Receptionist at Corland Mill
- Jack McNaughton as Taxi Driver
- Judith Furse as Nurse Gamage
- Billy Russell as Nightwatchman
Sound
The gurgling musical theme, "Guggle Glub Gurgle", that plays when Sidney Stratton’s apparatus is bubbling or when he is thinking about his invention is not made by musical instruments, but by laboratory equipment.[4]
Reception
The film opened at the Odeon Marble Arch cinema in London on 10 August 1951,[1] and was one of the most popular films of the year in Britain.[5] It earned rentals of $460,000 in the United States and Canada.[6] (This figure was also given as $500,000.[7])
The British Film Institute named it the 58th greatest British film of all time. In 2014 The Guardian included it as one of the twenty best British science fiction films.[8]
Stage adaptation
A stage play based on the film directed by Sean Foley and starring Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon opened at the Theatre Royal in September 2019 before transferring to the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End.
References
- ^ a b "Alec Guinness". Art & Hue. 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2003). British Cinema of The 1950s The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press USA. p. 285.
- ^ Street, Sarah (2008). British national cinema. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-415-38422-3.
- ^ Griep, Mark. "The "Guggle Glub Gurgle" Leitmotif of The Man in the White Suit (1951)" (PDF). Chemistry Movies Blog.
- ^ "The Queen Year's Leading Figure". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 31 December 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
- ^ "Alec Guinness Now Money Star in US". Variety. 13 January 1954. p. 2.
- ^ "Rank's Rebel Yell". Variety. 6 March 1957. p. 10.
- ^ Whitmore, Greg (23 November 2014). "The 20 best British science fiction films – in pictures". The Guardian.
Further reading
- The Great British Films, pp 153–155, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 0-8065-0661-X
External links
- The Man in the White Suit is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- The Man in the White Suit at IMDb
- The Man in the White Suit at Rotten Tomatoes
Categories:
- Articles with short description
- 1951 films
- Template film date with 1 release date
- Articles with Internet Archive links
- IMDb title ID not in Wikidata
- Rotten Tomatoes ID not in Wikidata
- 1950s satirical films
- 1950s science fiction comedy films
- British satirical films
- British science fiction comedy films
- British black-and-white films
- Films about labour
- Films about fashion in the United Kingdom
- Films set in Manchester
- Ealing Studios films
- 1951 comedy films
- 1950s business films
- Films shot in Greater Manchester
- 1950s English-language films
- 1950s British films
- British comedy films
