Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Movie review - "Genevieve" (1953) ****

 Probably Rank's best comedy even if at heart it's an Ealing comedy - Henry Cornelius had left that studio. William Rose is the MVP here, with a very funny script. There's too much whining from Dinah Sheridan admittedly - she's fine, the right, age, just a whinger. John Gregson is charming in his knockabout way. Both are overshone by Kenneth More and Kay Kendall, who shine as the smug, pleased, bumptuous Ambrose and the leggy, trumpet playing model.

I know it was accidental this film was so good but it does work. The cast, the concept, the footage of the chats while driving the cars (i.e no back projection), the clever scripting of the final race (which takes up over half an hour), the music, the colour. Kendall has a very funny drunk scene playing the trumpet, there's nice support cast.

The four protagonists things works too. Like it did for Gone with the Wind and the Gainsborough melodramas. A good couple and a bad couple. Here, because it's comedy, the "badness" is muted - but More and Kendall are different, a lot more flashy. Why didn't they use this method more? I know Gainsborough changed it, foolishly. Maybe they didn't understand it.

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