DERBY DAY

UK, 1952m 84 minutes, Black and white.
Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Googie Withers, John Mc Callum.
Directed by Herbert Wilcox.

Derby Day is an Anna Neagle/Michael Wilding romantic comedy. It was directed, as usual, by Anna Neagle's husband Herbert Wilcox (and some jokes are made in the screenplay about Wilcox’s films and their romantic titles like Maytime in Mayfair). The film is typical enough of the early 50s, very much the upstairs downstairs presentation of English society. Anna Neagle is Lady Forbes. Michael Wilding is a cartoonist for the papers.

However, Googie Withers and John Mc Callum play middle class or lower class people - involved in adultery and murder. There is an affectionate presentation of Gordon Harker and Gladys Henson as an old couple, he a veteran cabbie and she his wife. There is also a subplot about a self-centred film star (with more jokes about the British film industry) who is won in a raffle and has an outing with the winner's maid. There is some humour, some wit, some romance - all presented in a very short space of time with the interweaving of the short stories.

1. Entertaining British film? Presentation of British life? Upstairs downstairs? Focused on Epsom and races?

2. British production, black and white photography, musical score? The cast? The interweaving of the stories and the focus on Derby Day?

3. The title, the voiceover commentary, the place of the Derby in British consciousness of the time? The start of the day, Epsom, the racecourse, people moving towards the racecourse, the horses and the jockeys etc? The film taking place over one day?

4. Lady Forbes and her story: Upstairs - and the servants commenting on her behaviour, her grief? her dress, going with George to the races despite peoples thoughts? The death of her husband? The horse in the race? His memory? The drive, meeting David Scott, giving him a lift, encounters at the racecourse, with the film actor? Her talking with David, the explanation of her grief? His own wife's death? His work, cartooning, refusing to go to the Derby, getting the cab, chats with the cabbie, inviting his wife along? The breakdown, the lift with Lady Forbes? The background of World War II and his being saved by the film star? Listening to Lady Forbes? The farewell after the victory, her talking to George, the plan for the evening, inviting David to dinner, his talk with the cabbie, the 500,000 to one winner?

5. Betty and her husband, middle-class, his going to shift work, breakfast, her lack of affection, the boarder, Tommy, and his being on the run, the relationship, the husband's return and his death? Year, getting the money, going separately to Epsom? Tony and his plans, his being on the run, connections at the course? Betty and her going in the bus, tension, finding the bag with the money? Meeting Tony, his hostility and willing to leave her? The scrounge on the track, the refusal of the loan, the announcement, his going to the police? Their meeting, the winner, being arrested? his final gesture in giving Betty the money?

6. The film star and his self-centredness, getting up, his agent, the Jokes about the raffle, the winner and her society tone, the phone call, her fall? The maid, from Canada, her infatuation with the film star, going for the outing, Gerald and his deciding to go with her, the enjoyable day, the producer, the couple who turn out to be extras? The winnings, the carnival, losing the bag, the happy ending in the cab -and Michelle inviting Gerald to be her best man? The portrait of the film fan and her enjoyable day?

7. The taxi driver, 40 years of experience, his relationship with his wife, her wanting to watch the Derby on the television, grumpiness, the breakdown, getting to the track, her feet, sitting down, not seeing the Derby - and reading in the paper that the race wasn't televised?

8. The atmosphere of people at the track, the boxes, the commentator for the media, the racing personal, betting, their police?

9. Pleasant blend of stories, aspects of human nature?