The Green Man (film)
Encyclopedia
The Green Man is a 1956
British
comedy-drama film based on the play Meet A Body by Frank Launder
and Sidney Gilliat
, who produced and adapted the big-screen version.
minister (Huntley) when the latter is discovered to be having an affair, about to be consummated at the Green Man Hotel. However his plans are accidentally uncovered and foiled by vacuum cleaner salesman Blake (Cole) who forges an unlikely alliance with Ann (Adams), engaged to be married a rather stuffy BBC announcer, Willoughby-Cruft (Gordon). The latter relationship breaks down when Willoughby-Cruft finds his fiancée under their bed with Blake and later, in her lingerie, accidentally entangled on the floor with him. As such, there are some romantic (and not-at-all romantic) interludes and Hawkins briefly has the task of trying to deal with his secretary, a friendly policeman, and prepare his bomb at the same time.
The film, rated U, has been re-released on Region 2 DVD with School for Scoundrels
novel The Green Man
of the same name. There are no connections between the two.
1956 in film
The year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by...
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy-drama film based on the play Meet A Body by Frank Launder
Frank Launder
Frank Launder was an English writer, director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat....
and Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat
Sidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
, who produced and adapted the big-screen version.
Plot
Freelance assassin Hawkins (Sim) has plans to blow up Sir Gregory Upshott, a CabinetCabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
minister (Huntley) when the latter is discovered to be having an affair, about to be consummated at the Green Man Hotel. However his plans are accidentally uncovered and foiled by vacuum cleaner salesman Blake (Cole) who forges an unlikely alliance with Ann (Adams), engaged to be married a rather stuffy BBC announcer, Willoughby-Cruft (Gordon). The latter relationship breaks down when Willoughby-Cruft finds his fiancée under their bed with Blake and later, in her lingerie, accidentally entangled on the floor with him. As such, there are some romantic (and not-at-all romantic) interludes and Hawkins briefly has the task of trying to deal with his secretary, a friendly policeman, and prepare his bomb at the same time.
Cast
- Alastair SimAlastair SimAlastair George Bell Sim, CBE was a Scottish character actor who appeared in a string of classic British films. He is best remembered in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film Scrooge, and for his portrayal of Miss Fritton, the headmistress in two St. Trinian's films...
as Harry Hawkins - George Cole as William Blake
- Terry-ThomasTerry-ThomasThomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...
as Charles Boughtflower - Jill AdamsJill AdamsJill Adams was an English actress artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s....
as Ann Vincent - Raymond HuntleyRaymond HuntleyRaymond Huntley was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s through to the 1970s...
as Sir Gregory Upshott - Colin GordonColin GordonColin Gordon was a British actor born in Ceylon .He was educated at Marlborough College and Christ Church, Oxford. He made his first West End appearance in 1934 as the hind legs of a horse in a production of “Toad of Toad Hall”. From 1936 to 1939 he was a director with the Fred Melville Repertory...
as Reginald Willoughby-Cruft - Avril AngersAvril AngersAvril Florence Angers was an English stand up comedienne and actress.- Life :Angers was born in Liverpool. She danced with the Tiller Girls before joining ENSA during the Second World War, becoming a Forces' sweetheart. She never married or had children...
as Marigold - Dora BryanDora BryanDora May Bryan OBE is an English actress of stage, film and television.-Early life:Bryan was born as Dora May Broadbent in Southport, Lancashire, England. Her father was a salesman and she attended Hathershaw County Primary School in Oldham, Lancashire...
as Lily - John ChandosJohn Chandos (actor)John Chandos was a British film and television actor.-Filmography:* 49th Parallel * The Next of Kin * The First of the Few...
as McKechnie - Cyril ChamberlainCyril ChamberlainCyril Chamberlain was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early Carry On, Doctor in the House and St. Trinian's films....
as Police Sergeant Bassett - Richard WattisRichard WattisRichard Cameron Wattis , was an English character actor.He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut with Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage...
as Doctor - Lucy GriffithsLucy Griffiths (actress born 1919)Lucy Griffiths was a British character actress whose work spanned from the early 1950s through to the early 1980s....
as Annabel - Arthur BroughArthur BroughArthur Brough was a British actor, best known for portraying the character of senior menswear salesman Mr...
as Landlord - Arthur LoweArthur LoweArthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
as Radio salesman - Eileen MooreEileen MooreEileen Moore is a British television and film actress. Between 1954 and 1962 she was married to the actor George Cole.-Selected filmography:* Mr...
as Sir Gregory's weekend companion - Alexander GaugeAlexander GaugeAlexander Gauge was a British actor best known for playing Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955 to 1960....
as Chairman - Peter BullPeter BullPeter Cecil Bull, DSC was a British character actor.- Biography :He was the fourth and youngest son of Hammersmith MP Sir William James Bull, 1st Bt..Bull was educated at Winchester College...
as General Niva - Willoughby GoddardWilloughby GoddardWilloughby Wittenham Rees Goddard was a British actor whose trademark rotund figure was well known on television and in films for over 40 years.Goddard was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire. He played Mr...
as Statesman - Michael RipperMichael RipperMichael Ripper was an English character actor born in Portsmouth.He began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown; he was seldom credited. He played one of the two murderers in Richard III. Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions...
as Waiter
Production
Cole's then wife, Eileen Moore, appeared in the film as the typist with whom Upshott has a liaison.The film, rated U, has been re-released on Region 2 DVD with School for Scoundrels
School for Scoundrels (1960 film)
School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. The main character, Henry Palfrey , is a failure in sport and love, and victim of conmen. He enrols at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr...
Novel
It was produced some 13 years prior to a Kingsley AmisKingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
novel The Green Man
The Green Man
Written in 1969, The Green Man , is a novel by the noted British author Kingsley Amis. A Times Literary supplement reviewer described The Green Man as “three genres of novel in one”: ghost story, moral fable, and comic novel...
of the same name. There are no connections between the two.