Genevieve (1953)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Henry Cornelius

Writer:

William Rose (story)

Release Date:

15 February 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It ought to be illegal to let "Genevieve" on the streets!

Plot:

It's time for the annual London to Brighton antique car rally, and Alan McKim and Ambrose Claverhouse...

Plot Keywords:

Car | Automobile Racing | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Dinah Sheridan	...	Wendy McKim
John Gregson	...	Alan McKim
Kay Kendall	...	Rosalind Peters
Kenneth More	...	Ambrose Claverhouse
Geoffrey Keen	...	Policeman
Reginald Beckwith	...	J. C. Callahan
Arthur Wontner	...	Old Gentleman
Joyce Grenfell	...	Hotel proprietress
Leslie Mitchell	...	Himself - Newsreel Commentator

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #16715, General Audience)

Filming Locations:

Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London, England, UK

Company:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation

Trivia:

John Gregson (owner of Genevieve) couldn't actually drive.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the children drop ice-cream on the street crossing, they attempt to pick it up, but some of it has turned to liquid and then a few moments later, when they get off the road, there is no trace of any ice-cream left on the road.

Quotes:

Ambrose Claverhouse: Combining the London-to-Brighton run with a really beautiful emotional experience.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Joyce Grenfell 1910-1979 (1980) (TV)

Car comedy that never runs out of gas !

A chirpy British comedy following the fortunes of two overly-competitive friends who enter vintage cars in the famous London to Brighton rally. John Gregson stars as the dour lawyer Alan who, baited by his larger than life friend (Kenneth More), accepts a bet on who will return to London first.

Dinah Sheridan and Fay Kendal provide glamorous and dependable support, with Kendal sparkling as an upper class fashion model with an unexpected capacity for trumpet playing and heavy drinking. Much of the film is typical race and chase stuff, but avoids the usual potholes of over-engineered stunts and tricks. The characters are far more interesting than that!

A brilliant harmonica soundtrack by Larry Adler keeps the tempo and spirits high and the full colour production provides a ready backdrop of 1950's town and country scenes. Escapist entertainment from a period when British cinema boomed.