TIME GENTLEMEN PLEASE
UK, 1952, 79 minutes, Black and white.
Eddie Byrne, Hermione Baddeley, Raymond Lovell, Dora Bryan, Marjorie Rhodes, Thora Hird, Ivor Barnard, Sid James, Sydney Tafler.
Directed by Lewis Gilbert.
Time Gentlemen Please is one of those brief British comedies with social comment that proliferated in the decade after World War Two. It boasts a great number of British character actors and was directed by Lewis Gilbert who had begun directing films in 1944 and was to continue for the next sixty years. He was to move to bigger-budget films by the end of the 1950s with such films as Carve Her Name With Pride. He moved into action adventures, HMS Defiant, as well as making three James Bond films. In his later years he made Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.
The film is a portrait of a village which is successful in productivity, is about to welcome a visit from the prime minister but has a difficulty with its old village character, Dan Dance (Eddie Byrne) who prefers to drink. When he is put into a home, the young vicar discovers that he is entitled to six thousand pounds a year support from the village – problems ensue. These films of the early 1950s may seem a little quaint in their style and in their subject, but they are a reminder of the great British tradition of focusing on villages, on small people, on social issues – with the ironic and comic touch.
1. The quality of the British comedy? Its particular characteristics, as illustrated here? British comedy of the fifties?
2. The importance of atmosphere of place, characters, the black and white photography?
3. The quality of situation comedy, British situations, the ordinary British people, workers? The background of politics, social background, the human elements?
4. The film's background of employment questions, industry, loafing, the values of work and the British attitudes towards Work? How interestingly presented, how humorously satirised?
5. The presentation of Irish characters in the English background? The portrayal of snobbery? Power struggles within small towns? Class snobbery?
6. The theme of money and the lengths to which people will go? The satire on the history of the town and the using of its legislation for money purposes? The old council, the new council? Danny's warders?
7. How enjoyable was Danny as a character? His endearing qualities, irritating characteristics? His values? Drink, relationship with people, with his family? His personal traits? The humiliation by the old council? Using his humiliation for the town's pride? His response to the challenge? His rising to high office? His attitude towards work? The humour of the ending? The points being made through this character?
8. The presentation of the old council? Their status in the town, their attitudes, meetings, use of power, hypocrisy, vote-seeking? Consider each of the individuals and their attitudes? What were the targets for this satire on British aristocracy, newly rich?
9. The contrast of the new council? Johnny and his sense of honesty, Danny's niece as a romantic heroine? The old lady calling for revolution? The new factory manager? The significance of their victory?
10. The importance of details of life, work, values in the town?
11. The picture of the workhouse and the curators? The comedy in Danny's being home on time?
12. The social values explored and communicated in this comedy?
