They Knew Mr. Knight (film)
They Knew Mr. Knight is a 1946 British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring Mervyn Johns, Nora Swinburne and Joyce Howard.[1] It was based on a 1934 novel of the same title by Dorothy Whipple. A man is sentenced to twelve months in Lincoln jail following his involvement in a share scam, plunging himself and his family into despair. However, by the time of his release he is able to face his uncertain future with fortitude.
| They Knew Mr. Knight | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) British quad poster | |
| Directed by | Norman Walker |
| Produced by | Norman Walker |
| Written by | Victor MacLure Norman Walker |
| Based on | the novel by Dorothy Whipple |
| Starring | Mervyn Johns Nora Swinburne Joyce Howard Joan Greenwood |
| Music by | John Greenwood |
| Cinematography | Erwin Hillier |
| Edited by | Sam Simmonds |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
Release date | 4 March 1946 |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film was made by Norman Walker's G.H.W. Productions, funded by the Rank Organisation, at Denham Studios. It suffered a financial loss on its release and it was the last of four films that Walker made for Rank.[2]
Cast
- Mervyn Johns as Tom Blake
- Nora Swinburne as Celia Blake
- Joyce Howard as Freda Blake
- Joan Greenwood as Ruth Blake
- Peter Hammond as Douglas Blake
- Marie Ault as Grandma Blake
- Frederick Cooper as Edward Blake
- Grace Arnold as Isabel Blake
- Alfred Drayton as Mr. Knight
- Olive Sloane as Mrs. Knight
- Joan Maude as Carrie Porritt
- Kenneth Kove as Coggie Selby
- Frederick Burtwell as Mr. Berry
- Winifred Oughton as Mrs. Greene
- Tarva Penna as Mr. Greene
- Patric Curwen as Mr. Porter
- Muriel Aked as Lady Gilling
- Anthony Holles as Station Master
- Gordon Begg as Sims
- Ian Fleming as Higgs
- Sheila Raynor as Agnes
- Pat Stevens as Miss Berry
- Doyley John as Bobby Hewett
- Alan Snart as Choirboy
Critical reception
The Radio Times gave the film two out of five stars, and wrote, "director Norman Walker rather wallows in this glum middle-class morality tale. But he prudently cashes in on Johns's fretful features and the solid support provided by Nora Swinburne and Joan Greenwood, as his wife and self-sacrificing daughter."[3]
References
- "They Knew Mr. Knight". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012.
- Murphy p.66
- David Parkinson. "They Knew Mr Knight". RadioTimes.
Bibliography
- Murphy, Robert. Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48. Routledge, 1992.