Spring in Park Lane
Encyclopedia
Spring in Park Lane is a 1948 British romantic comedy
film
directed by Herbert Wilcox
.
, who is employed by Joshua Howard (Tom Walls
), an eccentric art collector. His niece and secretary, Judy (Anna Neagle
), has her doubts that Richard is the footman he pretends to be. In reality he is Lord Brent, brother of one of Judy's suitors, the Marquis of Borechester (Nicholas Phipps).
He went to America to sell some old paintings to restore the family fortunes but on the way back receives a message that the cheque he was given for the paintings is invalid. He decides to hide until he can save enough money to return to America, and assumes the identity of a footman. He and Judy fall in love, and as he is about to return to America they discover that the purchaser's cheque is valid after all.
it was rated 5th in the all-time attendance figures for the United Kingdom, with total attendance of 20.5 million, still the largest figure for a wholly British made film.
Reviews were generally positive, Variety
said, "incident upon incident carry merry laughter through the picture". and The New York Times
described it as "attractively witty".
A follow up, Maytime in Mayfair
, was released the following year.
provides the soundtrack, his light orchestral
version of the folk tune Early One Morning
proving particularly popular at the time.
It was mentioned in an article written by restaurant critic Michael Winner
in his regular column in The Sunday Times
on 5 June 2005.
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Herbert Wilcox
Herbert Wilcox
Herbert Sydney Wilcox was a British film producer and director.-Early life:Wilcox's mother was from County Cork, Ireland, but he was born in Norwood and attended school in Brighton...
.
Plot
The film tells the story of a footman, Richard, played by Michael WildingMichael Wilding (actor)
-Early life:Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, Wilding was a successful commercial artist when he joined the art department of a London film studio in 1933. He soon embarked on an acting career.-Career:...
, who is employed by Joshua Howard (Tom Walls
Tom Walls
Tom Kirby Walls was a popular English stage and motion-pictures character actor, and film director. He has claim to be one of the most influential figures in British comedy.-Early career:...
), an eccentric art collector. His niece and secretary, Judy (Anna Neagle
Anna Neagle
Forming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...
), has her doubts that Richard is the footman he pretends to be. In reality he is Lord Brent, brother of one of Judy's suitors, the Marquis of Borechester (Nicholas Phipps).
He went to America to sell some old paintings to restore the family fortunes but on the way back receives a message that the cheque he was given for the paintings is invalid. He decides to hide until he can save enough money to return to America, and assumes the identity of a footman. He and Judy fall in love, and as he is about to return to America they discover that the purchaser's cheque is valid after all.
Reception
Released two years after the peak year for cinema attendances in the United Kingdom, it nevertheless was substantially more successful than other contemporary releases, becoming the most successful film release of 1948 in the United Kingdom, and in a 2004 survey by the BFIBritish Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
it was rated 5th in the all-time attendance figures for the United Kingdom, with total attendance of 20.5 million, still the largest figure for a wholly British made film.
Reviews were generally positive, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said, "incident upon incident carry merry laughter through the picture". and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described it as "attractively witty".
A follow up, Maytime in Mayfair
Maytime in Mayfair
Maytime in Mayfair is a 1949 British musical comedy film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Nicholas Phipps, and Tom Walls...
, was released the following year.
Miscellaneous
Robert FarnonRobert Farnon
Robert Joseph Farnon was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a famous composer of original works , he was recognised as one of the finest arrangers of his generation...
provides the soundtrack, his light orchestral
Light music
Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably it lasts to the present day....
version of the folk tune Early One Morning
Early One Morning
"Early One Morning" is an English folk song. The lyrics are first found in publications as far back as 1787. A broadside in the Bodleian Library, Oxford dates from about 1803...
proving particularly popular at the time.
It was mentioned in an article written by restaurant critic Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
in his regular column in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
on 5 June 2005.