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1950 British film by Maclean Rogers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Something in the City is a 1950 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Richard Hearne, Garry Marsh and Ellen Pollock.[2][3] It was written by H. F. Maltby and Michael Pertwee. It includes an early uncredited performance by Stanley Baker as a police constable.[4]
Something in the City | |
---|---|
Directed by | Maclean Rogers |
Written by | H. F. Maltby Michael Pertwee |
Produced by | Ernest G. Roy |
Starring | Richard Hearne Garry Marsh Ellen Pollock Betty Sinclair |
Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
Edited by | Charles Hasse |
Music by | Wilfred Burns |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service |
Release date |
|
Running time | 76 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Mr Ningle has been living a lie for seven years by pretending to still be commuting to his financial services job in the City of London from which he had been sacked. Every day, he journeys in and changes into the disguise of his alter ego: an artist who sells paintings on the pavement in Trafalgar Square.
His life is thrown into turmoil when his deception is nearly discovered by Mr. Holley, the father of his daughter Beryl's new fiancé, Richard. The father happens to be the managing editor of the Evening Courier newspaper, and worried about his prospective in-laws. A series of misunderstandings lead to the mistaken belief that Ningle has been murdered by "Artie the artist", leading to a massive police manhunt. Ningle manages to stage a fake suicide for Artie, while he reappears and pretends he had amnesia for the past 48 hours.
When Holley publishes an offer of a large sum to Artie by way of apology (having heard that he committed suicide), Ningle cannot resist "resurrecting" the artist, but Holley now suspects the truth. Ningle manages to outmanoeuvre him, however, and presents the money to Beryl and Richard, enabling them to marry despite the opposition of Richard's parents.
The film was made at Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames and on location around London.[3] The film's director, Maclean Rogers, was experienced in second feature productions. It was distributed by Butcher's Film Service.
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "After 40 years as a circus clown and music-hall comic, Richard Hearne finally found fame on TV as the fumbling old fool, Mr Pastry. But the performer was less fond of the character to whom he owed his fortune than the public, and Hearne frequently sought to escape from the corny slapstick of his children's shows. Here, he plays a pavement artist who convinces his wife he is a high financier. The cheery street folk simply don't ring true and the pathos makes Chaplin look like a cynic."[5]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Harmless comedy"[6]
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