Last Holiday (1950)

Director:

Henry Cass

Writer:

J.B. Priestley (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 November 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Guinness...The Great Lover!

Plot:

George Bird is a salesman of agricultural machinery who finds out that he hasn't long to live. He decides...

Plot Keywords:

Salesman | Luck | Elevator | Black Comedy | Hotel

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	George Bird
Beatrice Campbell	...	Sheila Rockingham
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Poole
Grégoire Aslan	...	Gambini
Jean Colin	...	Daisy Clarence
Muriel George	...	Lady Oswington
Brian Worth	...	Derek Rockingham
Esma Cannon	...	Miss Fox
Bernard Lee	...	Inspector Wilton
Sid James	...	Joe Clarence
Campbell Cotts	...	Bellinghurst
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Sir Robert Kyle
Madam Kirkwood-Hackett	...	Miss Hatfield
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Chalfont
Eric Maturin	...	Wrexham
Helen Cherry	...	Miss Mellows
Harry Hutchinson	...	Michael the Waiter
Hal Osmond	...	Trade Union Man
Brian Oulton	...	Prescott
Ernest Thesiger	...	Sir Trevor Lampington
Heather Wilde	...	Maggie the Maid
Ronald Simpson	...	Dr. Pevensey
Arthur Howard	...	Burden
Meier Tzelniker	...	Baltin
Leslie Weston	...	William the Waiter
Lockwood West	...	Dinsdale
David McCallum Sr.	...	Blind Fiddler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Charlesworth	...	(uncredited)
Alexander Field	...	Patient In Clinic Waiting Room (uncredited)
Peter Jones	...	Travel Agent (uncredited)
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Bank Cashier (uncredited)
Raymond Rollett	...	Doctor In Hotel (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Cass

Writing credits
J.B. Priestley		(screenplay)

Produced by
Stephen Mitchell	....	producer
A.D. Peters	....	producer
J.B. Priestley	....	producer

Original Music by
Francis Chagrin

Cinematography by
Ray Elton

Film Editing by
Monica Kimick

Casting by
John Redway		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Duncan Sutherland

Makeup Department
Bob Clark	....	makeup artist
Doris Porter	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Victor Wark	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Arnold	....	assistant director
John Oldknow	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
George Pollard	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gilbert Wood	....	scenic artist
Peter Glazier	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry Benson	....	sound
Stan Jolly	....	sound recordist (as S. Jolly)
Norman Coggs	....	boom operator (uncredited)
P. Woods	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Val Stewart	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Peter Pitt	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Other crew
Joan Barry	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)
• Watergate Films

Distributors

• Associated British-Pathé (UK) (theatrical)
• Stratford Pictures Corporation (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)

Movie Connections:

Remade as Last Holiday (2006)

The Little Guy Lives It Up

This is Alec Guinness's first leading role in his first serious comedy. It has an original idea where an English clerk is erroneously told by the company doctor that he does not have long to live. So the clerk decides to take all the money that he saved and live it up at a ritzy resort hotel in England.

The people and the way they spoke in 1950 seem dated but the story rings true. It is a great story on people's behavior, good and bad. It is great to see Kay Walsh as his leading lady. Mr. Guinness and Ms. Walsh worked several times together and they made a great team.