Don't Bother to Knock (1961 film)

Don't Bother to Knock
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Cyril Frankel
Screenplay by	Denis Cannan Frederic Gotfurt
Based on	Don't Bother to Knock by Clifford Hanley
Produced by	Frank Godwin
Starring	Richard Todd Nicole Maurey Elke Sommer June Thorburn Rik Battaglia Judith Anderson
Cinematography	Geoffrey Unsworth
Edited by	Anne V. Coates
Music by	Elisabeth Lutyens
Production companies	Associated British Haileywood Productions
Distributed by	Warner-Pathé Distributors
Release dates	18 May 1961 (1961-05-18) (Sheffield) 1 June 1961 (1961-06-01) (London)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Don't Bother to Knock (released as Why Bother to Knock in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel from a screenplay by Denis Cannan and Frederic Gotfurt, based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Clifford Hanley. It stars Richard Todd, Nicole Maurey, Elke Sommer, June Thorburn, Rik Battaglia and Judith Anderson.

Premise

Bill Ferguson, a travel agent in Edinburgh, has an argument with his girlfriend Stella after he loses the key to his apartment. Unnoticed by Bill, Maggie, an American business associate of his, finds his key in his trouser cuff where he had dropped it, but, before returning it, she makes a copy of the key and gives Bill a gift of a case containing several copies of the key with his address on an attached metal tag.

Subsequently travelling around Europe on a business trip, Bill has romantic encounters with three women, giving each one a standing invitation to visit him when in Edinburgh plus one of the keys to his flat. When two of them, plus the daughter of the other, arrive at about the same time to attend the Edinburgh Festival, they all decide to stay with Bill, and Bill has to cope with the women all meeting each other, as well as Stella finding out about them.

Cast

• Richard Todd as Bill Ferguson
• Nicole Maurey as Lucille
• Elke Sommer as Ingrid
• June Thorburn as Stella
• Rik Battaglia as Gulio
• Judith Anderson as Maggie
• Dawn Beret as Harry
• Scott Finch as Perry
• Eleanor Summerfield as Mother
• John Le Mesurier as Father
• Colin Gordon as Rolsom
• Kenneth Fortescue as Ian
• Ronald Fraser as Fred
• Tommy Duggan as Al
• Michael Shepley as Colonel
• Joan Sterndale-Bennett as Spinster
• Amanda Barrie as American Girl
• Warren Mitchell as waiter (uncredited)

External links

• Don't Bother to Knock at IMDb
• Don't Bother to Knock at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Don't Bother to Knock at AllMovie
• Don't Bother to Knock at British Comedy Guide
• Don't Bother to Knock at the TCM Movie Database