Climbing High

Climbing High is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Carol Reed and produced by Michael Balcon with a screenplay by Sonnie Hale, Marion Dix and Lesser Samuels. It stars Jessie Matthews, Michael Redgrave, Noel Madison, Margaret Vyner and Alistair Sim, and was first released in the U.K. in November 1938.^[2]

Climbing High
Dvd cover
Directed by	Carol Reed
Written by	Lesser Samuels
Based on	an original story by Lesser Samuels Marion Dix
Produced by	Michael Balcon
Starring	Jessie Matthews Michael Redgrave Noel Madison Margaret Vyner Alastair Sim
Cinematography	Mutz Greenbaum
Edited by	Al Barnes Michael Gordon
Music by	Louis Levy
Production company	Gaumont British Picture Corporation
Distributed by	MGM (UK) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (US)
Release date	November 1938 (1938-11) (UK)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£94,018[1]

Plot

Nicky Brooke is a wealthy young man who despite his engagement to the aristocratic (and broke) Lady Constance Westaker falls for hard-up model Diana Castles after nearly running her over with his car. In an effort to distance himself from 'tabloid' created tales of his playboy lifestyle, he changes his name and attempts to woo Diana by pretending to be poor.

Cast

• Jessie Matthews as Diana Castles
• Michael Redgrave as Nicky Brooke
• Noel Madison as Gibson
• Alastair Sim as Max
• Margaret Vyner as Lady Constance Westaker
• Mary Clare as Lady Emily Westaker
• Francis L. Sullivan as Madman
• Enid Stamp-Taylor as Winnie
• Torin Thatcher as Jim Castle
• Tucker McGuire as Patsey
• Basil Radford as Reggie Baird
• Athole Stewart as Uncle
• Kathleen Byron as model
• Terry-Thomas as voice of cow
• Leslie Phillips as a child actor.^[3][4]

Production

Climbing High was filmed at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire by Gaumont British Picture Corporation.^[5][6]

Reception

Writing for Allmovie, Bruce Eder considered Climbing High to be one of Jessie Matthews' best vehicles which he noted was "a surprising result considering it is devoid of the musical numbers that one would have expected from one of England's top dancing and singing talents of the period. What it has is a brilliantly piercing witty script ... superbly engaging acting performances by all concerned and superb pacing." Eder further noted that "Carol Reed was only 3 years into his career ... and was already one of the top comedy directors in England." He concluded that Climbing High was "one of the most entertaining British comedies of the period with some piercing topical humour (especially about the advertising business and political activism) that still holds today."^[7]