The Admirable Crichton (1957)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.7/10   

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Escritores:

J.M. Barrie (play)
Lewis Gilbert (adaptation)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

16 diciembre 1957 (USA)

Género:

Comedia

Plot:

Lord Loam has modern ideas about his household; he believes in treating his servants as his equals - at least sometimes...

Plot Keywords:

Ship Wreck | Remake | Based On Play

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Quaint but enjoyable comedy on the class system

Reparto

Kenneth More	...	Crichton
Diane Cilento	...	Tweeny
Cecil Parker	...	Lord Loam
Sally Ann Howes	...	Lady Mary
Martita Hunt	...	Lady Brocklehurst
Jack Watling	...	Treherne
Peter Graves	...	Brocklehurst
Gerald Harper	...	Ernest Woolley
Mercy Haystead	...	Lady Catherine
Miranda Connell	...	Lady Agatha
Miles Malleson	...	Vicar
Eddie Byrne	...	Captain
Joan Young	...	Mrs. Perkins
Brenda Hogan	...	Fisher
Peter Welch	...	Rolleston

También conocida como:

Paradise Lagoon (USA)

Duración:

94 min

País:

UK

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Relación de Aspecto:

1.96 : 1

Sonido:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Clasificación:

UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #18403) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Locaciones de Filmación:

Bermuda

Compañía:

Modern Screen Play

Citas:

Lady Brocklehurst: George... Listen when anyone begins to answer with "The fact is... "
Brocklehurst: But why, mother?
Lady Brocklehurst: Because that is, usually, the beginning of a lie.

Conexiones de Película:

Version of "Estudio 1: El admirable Crichton" (1972)

Quaint but enjoyable comedy on the class system

In 1904 the Loam house is one of the most prodigious in all England. The head butler of the household is Crichton, who knows his place and is keen to keep the staff downstairs despite his labour-voting master's support of the absurd idea of all men as equal. On a cruise of the South Seas the family and Crichton become ship wrecked and the social standards that once controlled the families are no more and the castaways soon realise the value of a useful man.

I watched this by pure chance and, judging by the number of votes on imdb against this title, it appears that few other people have sought this film out. This is a retelling of J.M. Barrie's role reversal comedy and, although not without it's flaws, it is quite an enjoyable and thought provoking tale. The plot is simple in that the film looks at the class system in the UK and switches it in a situation where practicality and leadership qualities mean more than birthright. Sadly in the UK we have historically had a class system that has decided from birth who you will be when you grow up – if you're father was a Lord then you shall be too and so forth. That is the situation here and it is amusing to it switched when the island has no such system and eventually everyone settles into one based on merit and ability rather than birthright.

The film has a few digs at the ruling classes in the final 20 minutes, showing them as pompous and perhaps not as honourable as they should be, meanwhile Crichton lives up to the character given him by the film's title. It is actually quite sad when the film returns to England because in this one man you do get to see the crushing and enslaving effect that the class system has on those born into the lower reaches of it. The comedy is rarely hilarious but is amusing throughout – especially before the social switch occurs. It may feel a little old fashioned now but it is pretty light and enjoyable. If it does have a flaw it is that the jump between social status is sudden and not phased in slowly – I know the film had limited time but it was a little hard to swallow all at once. Also, on return to England the film loses a little of it's sharpness and enjoyment value.

Moore is perfectly cast as the unflappable butler Crichton he is perfect but as someone who knows his place, but also convinces as someone whom is a born leader regardless of birth right. Parker plays Loam spot on and the support cast are all well played if a little unmemorable in the odd spot.

Overall this is a quaint little film that makes a very good point. Although we are a classless society by comparison to the events in this film, class and birthright still play a big part in deciding what you'll become in later life in the UK. This is an amusing film with still a thoughtful message.