LAUGHTER IN PARADISE

UK, 1951, 85 minutes, Black and White.
Alistair Sim, Fay Compton, Guy Middleton. George Cole. Joyce Grenfell. A. E. Matthews, Ernest Thesiger, Eleanor Summerfield, Anthony Steel, John Laurie, Veronica Hurst, Beatrice Campbell, Audrey Hepburn.
Directed by Mario Zampa.

Laughter in Paradise is a typical British comedy of the early 50's. The humour of the situations come over very well with a very good cast of character actors headed by the inimitable Alistair Sim.

1. Why was this such a funny film - situations or the characters or both?

2. The film was typical of the best British comedies of the 50's. What were the special characteristics of its humour?

3. Did you see through the original joke or were you surprised at the end?

4. The film was a very funny moral fable - about what?

5. What was wrong with each of the four principals? What lessons for their life did they learn, genuinely? Denison Russell - propriety and reality; Agnes Russell - snobbery. harshness. hard work; Herbert Russell - courage; Simon Russell - truth and responsibility?

6. How did the sub-plots help make the points besides adding to the comedy? Elizabeth - the army. her father and the court; Sheila the 'Penny Dreadfuls'; Denison's attempts to get arrested the police. shoplifting; the hypochondriac. the detective and the daughter; Agnes's man; Herbert's associates at work; the character of Mr. Wagstaff; Lucille and Benson and the 'hooking of Simon'?

7. Were the main characters better off at the end without the money? Why?

8. what makes this kind of humour popular? Does the point come across well to the average audience? How?