George and Margaret (film)

1940 British film

George and Margaret

Judy Kelly in a scene from the film.

Directed by| George King
Written by|

* Rodney Ackland
* Brock Williams

Based on| George and Margaret
by Gerald Savory
Starring|

* Marie Lohr
* Judy Kelly
* Noel Howlett

Cinematography| Basil Emmott
Edited by| Terence Fisher
Music by| Bretton Byrd

Production
company

Warner Brothers

Distributed by| Warner Brothers

Release date

* 30 November 1940 (1940-11-30)

Running time

| 74 minutes
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English
Budget| £37,976[1]
Box office| £34,695[1]

George and Margaret is a 1940 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Marie Lohr, Judy Kelly and Noel Howlett.[2][3] It was written by Rodney Ackland and Brock Williams based on the play of the same name by Gerald Savory.

## Synopsis

[edit]

The plot revolves around the sudden and unexpected visit for dinner of George and Margaret, a couple returning from British India to visit their upper-middle class friends in Hampstead. Their unanticipated arrival plunges the house into chaos, with the domineering and snobbish mother, absent-minded father, high-spirited adult children and the put-upon servants all at odds. While most of them resent having to play host to the unlikable George and Margaret in order to please their mother's vanity, the couple's arrival and the confusion it causes serve as a catalyst for the resolution of various problems in their lives. Heading for a happy ending, George and Margaret finally arrive for dinner, only for the house to be plunged into darkness due to a short circuit.

## Cast

[edit]

* Marie Lohr as Alice
* Judy Kelly as Frankie
* Noel Howlett as Malcolm
* Oliver Wakefield as Roger
* John Boxer as Claude
* Ann Casson as Gladys
* Arthur Macrae as Dudley
* Margaret Yarde as Cook
* Irene Handl as Beer
* Gus McNaughton as Wolverton

## Production

[edit]

The film was made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with sets designed by art director Norman G. Arnold.

## Reception

[edit]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This clever, witty and delightful comedy loses nothing by its translation to the screen. The direction is straightforward and manages to capture the atmosphere of the agitated home perfectly, yet the film is in no sense merely a photographed play. Marie Lohr heads an excellent cast as the mother and the rest of the players support her nobly."[4]

Variety wrote: "It is Marie Lohr's picture, actress playing the Mrs. Alice Garth-Bander role for every chuckle it holds. From her expressively fluttering hands drops all the anguish she experiences in her efforts to rally the family into being nice to these old friends, George and Margaret. ... George King directed his players into taking the comedy very seriously. As film stands on its nonsense value, perhaps a broader effect might have been obtained by treating some of the roles for the farcical elements they basically contain, setting this against the necessary serious playing of Miss Lohr."[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Steve Chibnall (2019) Hollywood-on-Thames: the British productions ofWarner Bros. – First National, 1931–1945, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 39:4, 687-724, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2019.1615292 at p 714
2. ^ "George and Margaret". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
3. ^ Goble, Alan (1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. p. 775\. ISBN 9783598114922.
4. ^ "George and Margaret". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 7 (73): 159. 1 January 1940 - via ProQuest.
5. ^ "George and Margaret". Variety. 138 (6): 16. 17 April 1940 - via ProQuest.

## External links

[edit]

* George and Margaret at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by George King

* Two Way Street (1930)
* Too Many Crooks (1930)
* Leave It to Me (1930)
* Number, Please (1931)
* Deadlock (1931)
* The Professional Guest (1931)
* Midnight (1931)
* Self Made Lady (1932)
* Men of Steel (1932)
* To Brighton with Gladys (1933)
* Mayfair Girl (1933)
* Smithy (1933)
* Enemy of the Police (1933)
* I Adore You (1933)
* The Silver Spoon (1933)
* Too Many Wives (1933)
* Matinee Idol (1933)
* High Finance (1933)
* Her Imaginary Lover (1933)
* Beware of Women (1933)
* Murder at the Inn (1934)
* Oh No Doctor! (1934)
* Guest of Honour (1934)
* Nine Forty-Five (1934)
* The Blue Squadron (1934)
* To Be a Lady (1934)
* The Office Wife (1934)
* Get Your Man (1934)
* Little Stranger (1934)
* Adventure Ltd. (1935)
* Full Circle (1935)
* Windfall (1935)
* The Man Without a Face (1935)
* Gay Old Dog (1935)
* Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936)
* The Crimes of Stephen Hawke (1936)
* Reasonable Doubt (1936)
* Wanted! (1937)
* Merry Comes to Town (1937)
* Under a Cloud (1937)
* The Ticket of Leave Man (1937)
* Silver Top (1938)
* Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938)
* John Halifax (1938)
* The Face at the Window (1939)
* Crimes at the Dark House (1940)
* The Chinese Bungalow (1940)
* The Case of the Frightened Lady (1940)
* Two for Danger (1940)
* George and Margaret (1940)
* Tomorrow We Live (1943)
* Candlelight in Algeria (1944)
* Gaiety George (1946)
* Code of Scotland Yard (1947)
* Forbidden (1949)

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