The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick

Comedy / Sci-Fi / Drama

Film Review

Abstract picture representing The Man in the White Suit (1951)
The Man in the White Suit is one of a series of memorable classic film comedies from Ealing Studios, the British film production company that brought us such cinematic jewels as Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955).  The film succeeds both as an enjoyable knockabout farce and as a wonderfully effective satire on the conflict between scientific endeavour and the interests of big business (which still has great relevance today).

Alec Guinness turns in another impeccable performance, portraying the naïve inventor Stratton with great charm and poignancy, demonstrating the extraordinary range of his acting skill.   By this stage, Guinness had achieved celebrity as a result of his appearances in David Lean's Oliver Twist (1948) and Kind Hearts and Coronets.  His co-stars in this film include the mesmerising Joan Greenwood (the actress with a voice that has the luxurious texture of crushed velvet), Cecil Parker - who is perfect as the harassed mill owner - and Ernest Thesiger, whose impressive film credits include James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (1935), relishing his part as a decrepit godfather-like figure.  It is this ensemble of scintillating talent, served by an excellent screenplay, which makes The Man in the White Suit such a hugely enjoyable film.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.

Film Synopsis

Since graduating from Cambridge, Sidney Stratton has become obsessed with his idea of inventing an indestructible fibre, one which will revolutionise the clothes manufacturing industry.  Unable to find a backer for his research, he resorts to carrying out experiments in secret in the laboratories of textile mills where he poses as a menial worker.  The hard-nosed mill owner Birnley knows an opportunity when he sees one and, impressed with Stratton's theories, and the potentially lucrative returns these offer, he gives the inventor his full support.  Eventually, Stratton succeeds - he produces a fabric which can neither wear out nor get dirty.  Not everyone shares his enthusiasm, however.  Both the magnates of the textile industry and the mill's employees realise the implications of Statton's discovery.  To protect their own interests, they join forces to stop him...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Alexander Mackendrick
  • Script: Roger MacDougall (play), John Dighton, Alexander Mackendrick
  • Cinematographer: Douglas Slocombe
  • Music: Benjamin Frankel
  • Cast: Alec Guinness (Sidney Stratton), Joan Greenwood (Daphne Birnley), Cecil Parker (Alan Birnley), Michael Gough (Michael Corland), Ernest Thesiger (Sir John Kierlaw), Howard Marion-Crawford (Cranford), Henry Mollison (Hoskins), Vida Hope (Bertha), Patric Doonan (Frank), Duncan Lamont (Harry), Harold Goodwin (Wilkins), Colin Gordon (Hill), Joan Harben (Miss Johnson), Arthur Howard (Roberts), Roddy Hughes (Green), Stuart Latham (Harrison), Miles Malleson (The Tailor), Edie Martin (Mrs. Watson), Mandy Miller (Gladdie), Charlotte Mitchell (Mill Girl)
  • Country: UK
  • Language: English
  • Support: Black and White
  • Runtime: 85 min

Continental Films, quality cinema under the Nazi Occupation
sb-img-5
At the time of the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII, the German-run company Continental produced some of the finest films made in France in the 1940s.
The very best of the French New Wave
sb-img-14
A wave of fresh talent in the late 1950s, early 1960s brought about a dramatic renaissance in French cinema, placing the auteur at the core of France's 7th art.
The best of Japanese cinema
sb-img-21
The cinema of Japan is noteworthy for its purity, subtlety and visual impact. The films of Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa are sublime masterpieces of film poetry.
The best of British film comedies
sb-img-15
British cinema excels in comedy, from the genius of Will Hay to the camp lunacy of the Carry Ons.
The best French Films of the 1910s
sb-img-2
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright