The Chiltern Hundreds (released in the U.S. as The Amazing Mr. Beecham) is a 1949 British politically-themed comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, adapting William Douglas Home's 1947 play of the same name and starring Lana Morris, David Tomlinson and Cecil Parker.[1][2]
| The Chiltern Hundreds | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Section of British 6-sheet poster by Eric Pulford | |
| Directed by | John Paddy Carstairs |
| Screenplay by | William Douglas-Home Patrick Kirwan |
| Based on | the play The Chiltern Hundreds by William Douglas-Home |
| Produced by | George H. Brown |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jack Hildyard |
| Edited by | George Clark |
| Music by | |
Production company | George H. Brown Productions (for) Two Cities Films |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Synopsis edit
Viscount Pym (David Tomlinson) – whilst on National Service – gets leave from the British Army on the pretext of standing for Parliament as a Conservative Party candidate in his home constituency, held by his family for generations. The request is a ruse to enable Pym to marry his wealthy American fiancée June Farrell (Helen Backlin) while she is still in England and before she has to return home to America. His master plan backfires when he finds himself swept into the election campaign and beaten by the more politically experienced Mr Cleghorn (Tom Macaulay), the Labour Party candidate.
After losing the election, his family take the news calmly, but his fiancée is mortified, and he must now devise a plan to win her back. When Cleghorn is made a peer, Viscount Pym stands again for the newly vacant seat, however this time he fights the campaign as a Socialist candidate but is beaten once again, this time by the family butler Beecham (Cecil Parker) – a steadfast Conservative.
The title of the original play and the British title of this film refers to a Parliamentary convention which applies when a Member of Parliament wishes to stand down. Since MPs cannot technically resign, they may apply for the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds instead, which is an 'office of profit under the Crown': holding such a position disqualifies them from serving as an MP.
Cast edit
- Cecil Parker as Beecham (the butler)
- A. E. Matthews as Earl of Lister
- David Tomlinson as Tony, Viscount Pym
- Lana Morris as Bessie Sykes (the maid)
- Marjorie Fielding as The Countess of Lister
- Tom Macaulay as Cleghorn
- Joyce Carey as Lady Caroline (Lord Lister's sister)
- Helen Backlin as June Farrell
- Gerald Anderson as Mr. Brown
- Michael Brennan as Sergeant
- Robert Cawdron as Sergeant
- Cyril Chamberlain as Sentry
- Peggy Ann Clifford as Mother
- Charles Cullum as Colonel
- Richard Dunn as Labour agent
- Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Fielding
- Bill Shine as Reporter
- Joan Hopkins as Flower Show Attendee
- Anthony Steel as Adjutant
- Dervis Ward as Driver
Production edit
The film was made for £109,000.[3][4] Anthony Steel has one of his earliest roles in the film.[5]
Critical reception edit
Bosley Crowther in The New York Times noted "a somewhat slapdash lot of fooling. It rambles all over the place and is perilously uneven in its humorous attack. But it does offer several stinging sideswipes at the "plutocrats, peers and parasites," and kids class distinctions and traditions in a pleasantly good-natured way. In the title role of the butler, Cecil Parker—he who played the pompous colonel in the last episode of "Quartet"—is delightfully foolish and mannered, but A. E. Matthews as the butler's ranking boss, a beautifully addle-brained old codger, runs away with the show. Mr. Matthews' illustration of the complacence of an impoverished earl may not be wholly consistent but it glistens brightly in spots. David Tomlinson also does nicely as the thoroughly light-weight young lord and Lana Morris, Tom Macaulay and Marjorie Fielding are amusing in other roles."[6]
References edit
- ^ r-winbow (1 December 1949). "The Amazing Mr. Beecham (1949)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ "The Chiltern Hundreds (1949)". BFI. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016.
- ^ "Hustling Showman Of British Films". The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 19 July 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ "THE STARRY WAY". The Courier-mail. No. 4075. Queensland, Australia. 17 December 1949. p. 2. Retrieved 24 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (23 September 2020). "The Emasculation of Anthony Steel: A Cold Streak Saga". Filmink.
- ^ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 12 March 2021 – via NYTimes.com.
