Left Right and Centre

1959 British film by Sidney Gilliat

For the American radio programme, see Left, Right & Center. For the election scenario, see center-squeeze effect.

Left Right and Centre

Directed by| Sidney Gilliat
Written by| Val Valentine
Sidney Gilliat
Produced by| Frank Launder
Sidney Gilliat
Leslie Gilliat
Starring| Ian Carmichael
Alistair Sim
Patricia Bredin
Richard Wattis
Eric Barker
Cinematography| Gerald Gibbs
Edited by| Gerry Hambling
Music by| Humphrey Searle
Distributed by| British Lion Film Corporation

Release date

* 23 June 1959 (1959-06-23) (London)

Running time

| 95 minutes
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English

Left Right and Centre is a 1959 British satirical comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Ian Carmichael, Patricia Bredin, Richard Wattis, Eric Barker and Alastair Sim. It was produced by Frank Launder.[1][2] A political comedy, it follows the events of a by-election in a small English town.

## Plot

[edit]

Robert Wilcot, a popular television personality, is selected as the Conservative candidate for the provincial town of Earndale in the upcoming by-election. His selection is mostly due to the influence of his uncle, Lord Wilcot, a powerful local figure. His opponent is to be Stella Stoker, a fishmonger's daughter with a degree from the London School of Economics who has been chosen to stand for the Labour Party.

Travelling up on the train to Earndale, the two candidates meet and while she quickly works out who he is, he remains ignorant of her true identity. To try to show off he begins to tell her about his selection for the seat and how he expects to win. He describes his opponent as a bluestocking. He also inadvertently reveals embarrassing details to her such as the fact that he has scarcely been to Earndale in his life and that his family once controlled the seat as a rotten borough. Once they arrive at Earndale station, he is soon made aware of his mistake. The electoral agents of both candidates are furious to discover they have been fraternising on the train.

Wilcot goes to visit his uncle, and finds him to be an eccentric who has turned his country house into a money-making operation for visiting coach parties of tourists. It appears that he has engineered Robert Wilcot's selection as a candidate in order to spark public interest in the election, boosting his own business. It is also clear that the political contest is added to by the enmity of the two electoral agents the Tory Christopher Harding-Pratt and Labour's Bert Glimmer.

Once on the stump the two candidates keep running into each other around Earndale, at one point during a factory visit leading to a shouting match. Both begin to become entranced by the other, and become convinced they are falling in love. This comes to a head during the hustings at Wilcot Hall where they are caught kissing in the maze by their respective agents. Burying the hatchet, the two agents try to foil the potential romance. Despite repeated attempts to break up the candidates they continue a covert relationship.

## Cast and production

[edit]

### Main cast

[edit]

* Ian Carmichael \- Robert Wilcot
* Patricia Bredin \- Stella Stoker
* Richard Wattis \- Harding-Pratt
* Eric Barker \- Bert Glimmer
* Alastair Sim \- Lord Wilcot
* Moyra Fraser \- Annabel
* Jack Hedley \- Bill Hemmingway
* Gordon Harker \- Hardy
* William Kendall \- Pottle
* Anthony Sharp \- Peterson
* George Benson \- Egerton
* Leslie Dwyer \- Alf Stoker
* Moultrie Kelsall \- Grimsby Armfield
* Jeremy Hawk \- TV interviewer
* Russell Waters \- Mr. Bray
* Olwen Brookes \- Mrs. Samson
* John Salew \- Mayor
* Bill Shine \- Basingstoke
* Erik Chitty \- Deputy returning officer
* Redmond Phillips \- Mr. Smithson
* Irene Handl \- Mrs. Maggs
* John Sharp \- Mr. Reeves

### Supporting cast

[edit]

* Douglas Ives - Plumber
* Olaf Pooley \- TV newscaster
* Hattie Jacques \- Woman in car
* Frederick Leister \- Himself
* Frank Atkinson \- Railway Porter
* Eamonn Andrews \- Himself
* Gilbert Harding \- Himself
* Carole Carr - Herself
* Josephine Douglas \- Herself

### Cameo/Uncredited cast

[edit]

* Fred Griffiths \- Billingsgate Porter
* Victor Harrington - Man at Wilcot Priory
* Philip Latham \- Reporter
* Jim O'Brady - Billingsgate Porter

### Production

[edit]

The factory scene was in fact Shepperton Studios, with many of the studio buildings, including its larger sound stages, forming the factory backdrop.

## Reception

[edit]

According to Kinematograph Weekly the film performed "better than average" at the British box office in 1959.[3] Variety confirmed this.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Left Right and Centre | Britmovie | Home of British Films". Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
2. ^ BFI.org
3. ^ Billings, Josh (17 December 1959). "Other better-than-average offerings". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 7.
4. ^ "Gag-Films Rule British Trade". Variety. 20 April 1960. p. 47 - via Archive.org.

## External links

[edit]

* Left Right and Centre at IMDb
* NY Times Film Review

* v
* t
* e

Films of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat

Gilliat only|

| Writer only|

* Red Pearls (1930)
* You'd Be Surprised! (1930)
* Lord Richard in the Pantry (1930)
* Bed and Breakfast (1930)
* Third Time Lucky (1931)
* The Ringer (1931)
* The Ghost Train (1931)
* The Happy Ending (1931)
* A Gentleman of Paris (1931)
* Rome Express (1932)
* Falling for You (1933)
* Orders Is Orders (1933)
* Friday the Thirteenth (1933)
* Jack Ahoy (1934)
* Chu Chin Chow (1934)
* My Heart is Calling (1935)
* Bulldog Jack (1935)
* King of the Damned (1936)
* Where There's a Will (1936)
* The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936)
* Strangers on Honeymoon (1936)
* Take My Tip (1937)
* A Yank at Oxford (1938)
* Strange Boarders (1938)
* The Gaunt Stranger (1938)
* Ask a Policeman (1938)
* Jamaica Inn (1939)
* The Girl in the News (1940)
* Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light (1941)
* Kipps (1941)

|

Director|

* Waterloo Road (1945)

Launder only|

| Writer only|

* Under the Greenwood Tree (1929)
* Children of Chance (1930)
* The W Plan (1930)
* The Middle Watch (1930)
* How He Lied to Her Husband (1931 short)
* Hobson's Choice (1931)
* Keepers of Youth (1931)
* The Woman Between (1931)
* Children of Fortune (1931)
* After Office Hours (1932)
* Josser in the Army (1932)
* Old Spanish Customers (1933)
* You Made Me Love You (1933)
* For the Love of Mike (1932)
* Hawley's of High Street (1933)
* A Southern Maid (1933)
* Those Were the Days (1933)
* Happy (1933)
* Get Off My Foot (1935)
* Rolling Home (1935)
* The Black Mask (1935)
* Emil and the Detectives (1935)
* So You Won't Talk (1935)
* Mr. What's-His-Name? (1935)
* I Give My Heart (1935)
* Educated Evans (1936)
* Where's Sally? (1936)
* Don't Get Me Wrong (1937)
* Oh, Mr Porter! (1937)
* A Girl Must Live (1939)
* Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It (1941)
* We Dive at Dawn (1943)
* Ring of Spies (1964)

|

Director|

* The Last Coupon (1932)
* Two Thousand Women (1944)
* The Wildcats of St Trinian's (1980)

Together|

| Writers only|

* Facing the Music (1933)
* Twelve Good Men (1936)
* Seven Sinners (1936)
* The Lady Vanishes (1938)
* Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939)
* They Came by Night (1940)
* Night Train to Munich (1940)
* The Young Mr. Pitt (1942)
* The Green Man (1956)

|

Directed together|

* Partners in Crime (1942 short)
* Millions Like Us (1943)
* The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery (1966)

Directed by Gilliat|

* The Rake's Progress (1945)
* Green for Danger (1946)
* London Belongs to Me (1948)
* State Secret (1950)
* The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953)
* The Constant Husband (1955)
* Fortune Is a Woman (1956)
* Left Right and Centre (1959)
* Only Two Can Play (1962)
* Endless Night (1972)

Directed by Launder|

* I See a Dark Stranger (1946)
* Captain Boycott (1947)
* The Blue Lagoon (1949)
* The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
* Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951)
* Folly to Be Wise (1952)
* The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954)
* Geordie (1955)
* Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957)
* The Bridal Path (1959)
* The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960)
* Joey Boy (1965)

Producers only|

* The Smallest Show on Earth (1957)
* Ooh… You Are Awful (1972)

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