Easy Money (1948)

Director:

Bernard Knowles

Writers:

Muriel Box (writer)
Sydney Box (writer)

Release Date:

6 January 1949 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

A win on the football pools in postwar Britain changes lives. A happy family is turned into an unhappy...

Plot Keywords:

Football Pools | Gambling | Beautiful Woman | Based On Play

Cast

Jack Warner	...	Philip Stafford
Marjorie Fielding	...	Ruth Stafford
Yvonne Owen	...	Carol Stafford
Jack Watling	...	Dennis Stafford
Petula Clark	...	Jackie Stafford
Mabel Constanduros	...	Grandma Stafford
David Tomlinson	...	Martin Latham
Maurice Denham	...	Detective-Inspector Kirby
Mervyn Johns	...	Herbert Atkins
Joan Young	...	Agnes Watkins
Gordon McLeod	...	Cameron
Grey Blake	...	Wilson
Ernest Butcher	...	Clerk
Greta Gynt	...	Pat Parsons
Dennis Price	...	Joe Henty

Runtime:

USA:94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12798) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1997)

Filming Locations:

Gainsborough Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Soundtrack:

Shady Lady Spiv

four for the price of one

This movie is actually made up of 4 separate segments, each detailing how the football pools can affect someone's life.

In the first, a family discovers they have won, and at first everything is rosy. Mother wishes to move to the seaside. The son can invest some money in a mate's business. The father can rejoin the cricket team. But then the promised money causes trouble. The daughter's fiance feels inadequate marrying a rich girl. The deal is shonky. How can they live in Bournemouth AND stay in the cricket team? A lot of interesting twists in this one, to say more would give it away. 9/10 for enjoyment, though David Tomlinson does appear a bit of a bumbling fool. Keep your eyes out for 15 year old Petula Clark!

In the second, I think I fell asleep.

In the 3rd, the charming Greta Gynt does a blatantly obvious Gilda impersonation - "The Shady Lady" wears the same gloves and dress, has her hair the same way, acts the same as she sings, and is thoroughly enticing. She's a nightclub singer in need of a bit of cash. Her boyfriend works at the pools office, so she hatches an elaborate plan to fool the system and fake a win. A definite 10/10 for this one.

The final installment is light and humorous farce, about a double bass player who wins, and then discovers money isn't everything. Quick, borders on dull, but still a 6/10.