Laburnum Grove
Laburnum Grove is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Carol Reed and starring Edmund Gwenn, Cedric Hardwicke and Victoria Hopper.[1] It was based on the 1933 play of the same name written by J. B. Priestley.[2]
| Laburnum Grove | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Carol Reed |
| Produced by | Basil Dean |
| Written by | J.B. Priestley (play) Anthony Kimmins Gordon Wellesley |
| Starring | Edmund Gwenn Cedric Hardwicke Victoria Hopper Ethel Coleridge |
| Music by | Ernest Irving |
| Cinematography | John W. Boyle |
| Edited by | Jack Kitchin |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Associated British (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot summary
To rid himself of his sponging relatives a man tells them he is really a forger which causes them to leave. His wife believes he is joking, but he has in fact allowed the truth to slip out and now he is in danger of being arrested.[3]
Cast
- Edmund Gwenn as Mr. Radfern
- Cedric Hardwicke as Mr. Baxley
- Victoria Hopper as Elsie Radfern
- Ethel Coleridge as Mrs. Baxley
- Katie Johnson as Mrs. Radfern
- Francis James as Harold Russ
- James Harcourt as Joe Fletten
- David Hawthorne as Inspector Stack
- Frederick Burtwell as Simpson
Novelization
In 1936, Heinemann, London issued, in hardcover, J.B. Priestley's Laburnum Grove "based on the famous stage play & film" by Ruth Holland.[4] This book marked the second "collaboration" between Holland and Priestley, as she had three years before novelized his play Dangerous Corner.[5] Ms. Holland was at the time known for at least one work of popular contemporary fiction of her own, The Lost Generation, a wartime novel.[6] She was also, by way of Priestley's second marriage, his sister-in-law.[7]
Reception
Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, noting that "here at last is an English film one can unreservedly praise". Greene characterized the film as "thoroughly workmanlike and unpretentious", and praised director Reed for his difficult and successful adaptation of Priestley's original play.[8]
References
- "BFI Screenonline: Laburnum Grove (1936)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- "Laburnum Grove (1936)". Archived from the original on 29 November 2007.
- "Laburnum Grove, The Novel of J. B. Priestley's Famous Play And Film by Ruth Holland - World of rare Books.com". www.worldofrarebooks.com.
- "Dangerous Corner: A Novel By Ruth Holland from the Play by J. B. Priestley, with his co-operation, and a Foreword [Mellifont Library Series] by Ruth Holland with co-operation of J. B. Priestley [1894-1984]: Published by Mellifont Press Limited, 60 Chancery Lane, London circa . London circa 1939. - Little Stour Books PBFA Member". www.abebooks.co.uk.
- Holland, Ruth (6 September 2017). The Lost Generation. London. OCLC 561230472.
- "archives.nypl.org -- Search results". archives.nypl.org.
- Greene, Graham (31 July 1936). "Laburnum Grove/Ourselves Alone". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. pp. 90–91. ISBN 0192812866.)
Bibliography
- Evans, Peter William. Carol Reed. Manchester University Press, 2005.