Genevieve (1953)

VCI Entertainment and The Rank Collection presents "GENEVIEVE" [Blu-ray] (1953) (86 min/Color) -Starring: Dinah Sheridan, John Gregson, Kay Kendall, Kenneth More, Geoffrey Keen, Reginald Beckwith, Arthur Wontner Guest Artistes: Joyce Grenfell, Leslie Mitchell

Directed by: Henry Cornelius

Another great film from the British Invasion VCI has restored and brought from their vaults

Light hearted comedy about an antique car rally and the competitive relationship between two friends. Gregson is especially good as the bewildered husband who loves his old car--called Genevieve, baited by his larger than life friend Kenneth More, accepts a bet on who will return to London first.

Sheridan is also sharp as the loving wife who wants a different weekend but who gets into the spirit of things. Kendall sparkling as an upper class fashion model with an unexpected capacity for trumpet playing and heavy drinking almost steals the film.

Joyce Grenfell is funny as the hotel clerk. When giving the rules of the hotel to

Dinah Sheridan and John Gregson, in dismay can't believe what they're hearing. Just then

another tenant walks by and hears them, she then replies to Grenfell "Are they Americans?"

Also the clock across the square that tolls the hour and the inner workings of the clock that

is a bit distracting.

A splendid film of a long forgotten era of English film making, no film of this type has even come close.

I had tears of laughter and totally kept recalling various scenes with a joyful chuckle.

A catchy harmonica soundtrack by Larry Adler, keeps the tempo and spirits high on this very lively film from the Brits.

For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review

** Awards for Genevieve (1953)

1. Oscar Nominated Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Larry Adler) & Best Writing, Story and Screenplay (William Rose)

2. Won BAFTA Film Award Best British Film

3. Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best British Actor (Kenneth More) and Best Film from any Source

4. Won Golden Globe Best Foreign Film UK.

BIOS:

1. Henry Cornelius [aka: Owen Henry Cornelius] (Director)

Date of Birth: 18 August 1913 Capetown, South Africa

Date of Death: 2 May 1958 London, England, UK

2. Dinah Sheridan [aka: Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg]

Date of Birth: 17 September 1920 Hampstead, London, England, UK

Date of Death: Unknown

3. John Gregson [aka: Harold John Gregson]

Date of Birth: 15 March 1919, Liverpool, England, UK

Date of Death: 8 January 1975, Porlock Weir, Somerset, England, UK

4. Kay Kendall [aka: Justine Kay Kendall-McCarthy]

Date of Birth: 21 May 1926 Withernsea, Yorkshire, England, UK

Date of Death: 6 September 1959 London, England, UK

5. Kenneth More [aka: Kenneth Gilbert More]

Date of Birth: 20 September 1914, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Date of Death: 12 July 1982, Fulham, London, England, UK

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:

1. Documentary "A Profile of Genevieve" (30 minutes): An amusing look at the madcap motoring movie

2. Includes interviews with Dinah Sheridan (starring actress), Larry Adler (Composer),

Clive Donner (Film Editor) and Christopher Challis (Director of Photography)

& featuring the veteran cars themselves!

3. Photo & Poster Gallery!

4. Trailers: CAMPBELL'S KINGDOM (Blu-ray) & AGENT 8 3/4 aka HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE (Blu-ray)

Mr. Jim's Ratings:

Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars

Performance: 5 Stars

Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars

Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 86 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment #9006 ~ (September 6, 2011)

Genevieve is one of those wonderful 1950's British comedies that prove that if you have a smart script and good actors, you are three quarters of the way home. Combine that with an atmospheric soundtrack on the mouth organ by Larry Adler that transports you to a magically nostalgic world of 50's Britain.

The film is about two friends who are veteran car nuts and the long suffering women in their lives. They are entered in the two-day London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and the film follows the trials and tribulations the two couples have getting their cars the 58 miles there and back again. The film may not provoke huge laughter or be terribly deep, but it is endlessly watchable, largely due to the great chemistry all the actors have with each other. Gregson, More, Sheridan and Kendall are all on top form, helped no end by playing fully rounded out, believable characters. The same can be said for all the lesser roles too. Joyce Grenfell has a wonderful cameo as the concierge of the abjectly awful hotel Alan and Wendy (Gregson and Sheridan) are forced to stay in when they finally arrive in Brighton.

Image quality on the blu ray is a little soft and a little red shifted on occasions (understandable given that the film is nearly 60 years old) but otherwise is easily the best version of the movie available.

It is a little light on extras, a good documentary on the making of the film and a gallery of images.

If you like the Ealing style of British comedies, then you are going to enjoy this one no end. Just sit back and marvel at the seeming effortless of a near perfect movie.

Buy Genevieve (1953) Now

"Genevieve," (1953). This Oscar-nominated classic British comedy comes down the years not only in full color, most unusual for the time, but in lastingly saturated color of the green English countryside. The early road picture, directed by Henry Cornelius, follows two couples entered in the London-to-Brighton classic car rally. Their friendly rivalry heats up when during a quarrel, Alan McKim ,(John Gregson), wagers more than he can afford, that he and his wife Wendy, (Dinah Sheridan), in their antique car Genevieve, will win the race. Thereby beating Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More) and his fashion model date Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall) to their destination. They pull various dirty tricks which escalate to acts of sabotage as the two teams race back toward London's Westminster Bridge. Ambrose's date Rosalind must endure her wet and dirty maiden voyage on the rally; Wendy McKim, on the other hand, knows the drill, and has packed extra clothes. This fondly remembered movie has been hard to find for years; it is now available with subtitles, how helpful!--though not so many extras on the disk.

I believe it was an accepted principle of comedy that a production should be filtered through the sensibilities of `normal' people. Thus we have the McKims, as played by Dinah Sheridan (who gets top billing), and John Gregson, given more screen time and higher star billings. But I can claim no knowledge of either of them. Much better known today are the comic actor Kenneth More, (The 39 Steps) as Claverhouse. And, outstandingly, though she left us shockingly young, Kay Kendall (Les Girls, The Reluctant Debutante ) as Rosalind Peters. Kendall, a Golden Globe winner who was married to outstanding British actor Rex Harrison, died at 33, in London, of leukemia, cutting off what might well have been a brilliant comic career. She came from an English music hall family background, which may well have had something to do with her most famous scene in the film the film's most famous, show-stopping scene--in which she drunkenly stands up in a nightclub and plays the trumpet (voiced by Kenny Baker). Popular comic actress Joyce Grenfell (The Belles of St. Trinian's ) has a funny cameo as a Brighton hotel proprietress. Other comic favorites such as Reginald Beckwith and Geoffrey Keen round out the cast. The joyous harmonica theme is by Larry Adler, who, when blacklisted by Hollywood, simply took up his career on the other side of the pond.

In reading other reviewers, I can see that they often say this movie was a favorite of their Mom's or Dad's. But I am older than most other reviewers, and this movie was a great favorite of mine. It was the first British movie I ever saw, as a young child, and left some lasting impressions. I was stunned that a woman could get up in public and play a raucous trumpet. And I desperately wanted to live in a cute little mews house, as the McKims did, presumably because it was cheap. Unfortunately I was much too young to be buying mews houses then, could only beg for doll houses, and, as an adult, never could afford a mews house::they became terribly chic and expensive. I remember the film as a laugh a minute, of course, but after seeing it again after a very long wait, find it a bit of a slo-go; and actually rather genteel and restrained through most of the race. And it clearly demonstrates the era's rather demeaning attitude toward women. Never mind, back then I grew to love the dinner gong logo of the J. Arthur Rank Organisation, and to salivate the moment I saw and heard it, in the expectation of a delicious entertainment to come. This one is still tasty, colorful and flavorful.

Read Best Reviews of Genevieve (1953) Here

Great movie and it is a well done production about the old car run in England. A fun ride for sure.

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first saw this movie when i was 16 (1953) and drove to a small movie theater that showed foreign movies enjoyed it very much especially Kay Kendall's role it really put her on the map she later married Rex Harrison and they made a good couple even now i can see just why it got all those nominations and awards including the Golden Globe what prompted my to get this movie was the recent passing of its star, Dinah Sheridan found the movie to be a pleasant surprise all the way to the end very funny flick thank you for having it paul

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