Really Surprised!

Good concept, poorly executed.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Most people in the United Kingdom would probably know second leads Kenneth More and Kay Kendall today than they would John Gregson and Dinah Sheridan. But all four pitch in and make Genevieve as delightful and refreshing a comedy today as it was in 1953 when it came out.The married Gregson and free spirit More are best of friends with a shared interest in antique cars. But every year that friendship goes under an extreme strain when there's an antique car rally and people with those old vehicles. Sheridan who is married to Gregson surrenders a bit unwillingly every year to the obsession that overtakes her husband.If this film had been made in America, Jack Carson would have been perfect casting for More's role. He's an amiable blowhard with a different woman every few months and this month's flavor is Kay Kendall.The rally is not a race it's just a bunch of folks who own these cars and drive them en masse from London to Brighton and back. But Gregson and More make it a race between themselves and there's a bet on as well. In America we would say racing for pink slips and in Gregson's case what's at stake is his beloved vehicle Genevieve.The trip with both of them and what happens to these antique cars has loads of laughs in it. That's ratcheted up exponentially during the climax as both cars are just returning to London and shall we say showing their age.Kay Kendall's best moment is at a nightclub where she's totally blotto and wants to play the trumpet. I'm sure it was dubbed, but sure enough a swinging version of the old ballad Genevieve is blown by Kendall. She's her usual marvelous self.It's over 60 years since Genevieve came out. I wonder if that rally is still held and what is considered an antique now. This film certainly isn't.

Lust, jealousy, ruthless conniving...and that's for starters. No, this isn't a Lana Turner and John Garfield film. This is Genevieve, one of the greatest of the classic English comedies from the late Forties and early Fifties. The movie is witty, warming and, above all else, funny. Genevieve is a 1904 Darrocq roadster, driven by the ordinarily levelheaded young barrister, Alan McKim (John Gregson), on the London to Brighton and back annual antique car rally. By his side is his indulgent and sometimes exasperated wife, Wendy (Dinah Sheridan). Joining him in a 1904 Stryker is Alan's best friend, the irrepressible Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More). Joining Ambrose is the beautiful creature he hopes to have an emotional experience with overnight in Brighton, the elegant and slightly off-center Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall). Stuffed in the Stryker's small back seat is Suzy, Rosalind's Saint Bernard. And off they go, the cars snorting and puffing, wheezing and sometimes breaking down. We have a chance to see how much the annual rally and Genevieve mean to Alan and how much Gwen, who'd rather be at a party that evening, loves him. We learn what a loud and funny man Ambrose can be, and how just below the surface is a competitive streak just waiting to break free. And we see what a beautiful creature the long-legged and fey Rosalind is, and that she just might be Ambrose's match. Says Rosalind to Wendy, "Ambrose only seems to think about two things. That silly old car - and the other thing." Says Wendy to Rosalind, "What other thing? Oh. My husband only thinks about the car." The four reach Brighton and enough things happen to them to keep us smiling. But then a little misunderstanding leads to a 100 pound bet as to who will get back to London and cross the Westminster Bridge finish line first. What had been a friendly run turns into a cutthroat competition. Ambrose comes into his own...and nice guy Alan matches him. It's not too long before Wendy and Rosalind, who at first thought the men were behaving like boys, join them in the thrill of the race. It's nip and tuck all the way, with stratagems, close calls and some truly ruthless plotting. It's great. Among the many reasons for this movie's charm and success are the four actors. Sheridan is an expert actress and light comedienne, likable and believable. Gregson is stolid but equally likable. They make a nice couple. Almost blowing them away, however, are Kenneth More and Kay Kendall. More had been the confident, energetic bit player or second lead for years. Kendall, with her looks, style and way with words had been slowly inching up the star ladder. With this movie and the following year's Doctor in the House, they both made it to the top. More was a much more versatile and subtle actor than his movie persona might have you believe. Ambrose Claverhouse may be loud and confident, he might even be just a bit of a bully, and he certainly has a victory laugh that will drive you crazy, but More is able with all this to make the guy funny and even appealing. We feel rather sorry for Ambrose when his emotional experience with Rosalind is not to be. Kendall simply was one of a kind...so elegant, so funny, so off the wall. When, tipsy on the champagne Ambrose has been giving her while the four of them dine, Rosalind decides to play the trumpet, Kendall is so funny you'll want to watch the scene again. Kendall has to set up the character at the table. She has to sound a little slurred. She has to walk carefully to the bandstand. She has to mime playing the trumpet, first slowly and sweet and then swinging, and she has to pass out back in her chair. Kendall does all this with exquisite timing and style. She's so funny because she knows not to try for a moment to be funny. Kendall didn't have much time at the top. She died six years later at 33 of leukemia. Not the least of Genevieve's charms is the jaunty, quirky music for the film composed and played by Larry Adler, perhaps the best harmonica player ever. Adler was one of those great American artists who were blacklisted because he wouldn't knuckle under to the vogue for self-abasing testimony before Congressional committees about his political beliefs. Unable to find much work in America he moved to Britain and started over. When Genevieve was released in the United States, his name was removed on the credits as the composer and another name substituted. When the music won an Academy Award, there was no mention of Larry Adler. It took years before the Oscar organization rectified this. Adler decided to stay where he was, in Britain. He kept his citizenship but only returned to the States later for concert or composing gigs.

A scene in Brighton shows just how much more sophisticated the Americans were in those days A couple booking into an hotel and the lady complaining about the rules, specifically -Hot water only between 14:30 hrs and 18:00hrs. The receptionist remarks " No one's ever complained before !"elderly guest in the crowd asks " Are they American ? "Just a jolly good film to watch at any time of year.At the time of filming I actually lived half way between London and Brighton. Since then I have driven between the two cities many times, and it is just not the same anymore

I was a bit surprised that such a high percentage of ratings were 10 for this movie. While it's pretty good, there are so many other British films of the era that are simply better--and a lot more entertaining. Now this isn't to say I didn't like the film. On the contrary, I thought it was very good,...but certainly not great and a pretty skipable film when you think of all the better films from Ealing Studios (such as PASSPORT TO PIMLICO or the films of Alec Guinness).The story is a very slight film about two slightly nutty old car enthusiasts and the women that reluctantly love them. Both guys LOVE their antique cars (circa 1904 and 1906) but the antiques are a pain in the neck, as they seem to break down all the time and are very slow. Despite this, the two guys decide to race from Brighton to London and a lot of problems naturally develop. Some of these problems are pretty cute, but the best aspect of this film were the interactions between the characters and the excellent dialog.Also, and I know this may seem odd, but I really loved the color film used to make this movie. It is not exactly realistic but is so rich and pretty to look at that I found myself remarking repeatedly ho much I liked the color.