Spring in Park Lane

Infobox Film
name = Spring in Park Lane


image_size = 161
caption =
director = Herbert Wilcox
producer = Herbert Wilcox
writer = Alice Duer Miller
(Novel)
Nicholas Phipps
(screenplay)
narrator =
starring = Anna Neagle
Michael Wilding
Tom Walls
Peter Graves
music =
cinematography = Max Greene
editing =
distributor = British Lion Film Corporation
released = 1948 — United Kingdom
September 20 1949 — USA
runtime = 91 min.
country = United Kingdom
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0040830

"Spring in Park Lane" is a 1948 romantic comedy film directed by Herbert Wilcox.

ynopsis

Based on the novel "Come Out of the Kitchen" by Alice Duer Miller, it tells the story of a footman, Richard, played by Michael Wilding, 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.

Reception

Released two years after the peak year for cinema attendances in the United Kingdom, [ [http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/bfi100ultimate-article.htm BFI Releases list of the top 100 most-seen films] Reel Classics, retrieved May 28, 2007] 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 BFI 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. [ [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/490356/index.html Screenonline, Spring in Park Lane] BFI Screenonline, retrieved May 27, 2007]

Reviews were generally positive, "Variety" said, "incident upon incident carry merry laughter through the picture". [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795112.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 Variety review] Variety, retrieved May 28, 2007] and "The New York Times" described it as "attractively witty". [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=111446 "New York Times" review] "The New York Times", retrieved May 27, 2007]

A follow up, "Maytime in Mayfair", was released the following year.

Despite the film's enormous success it is largely forgotten nowadays [ [http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=896270 Gone With The Wind tops the list of 100 most-watched films of all time] Yorkshire Post, retrieved May 28, 2007] [ [https://www.lff.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/methodology.html The Ultimate Film: Researching the Chart] IFF, retrieved May 28, 2007] , as witnessed by the small number of votes for it on IMDb and the fact that is unavailable on DVD.

Miscellaneous

Robert Farnon 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.

References