Rent A Boy, a Girl and a Bike (1949)
3.2 of 5 from 54 ratings
1h 27min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The boy is Sam Walters (Patrick Holt). The girl is Susie Bates (Honor Blackman). The bike is one of several used by a British cycling club. Boy and girl have fun peddling about the countryside until the girl's pretty head is turned by David Howarth (John McCallum), a wealthy young man with a snazzy sportscar. When David joins the cyclers, Susie glows and Sam glowers. Set in Yorkshire, the film is pleasant to look at but difficult to understand (at least for those not accustomed to regional British accents). The presence of sex symbol Diana Dors in the cast enabled 'A Boy, a Girl and a Bike' to secure good bookings in the U.S.
- Actors:
- John McCallum, Honor Blackman, Patrick Holt, Diana Dors, Maurice Denham, Leslie Dwyer, Anthony Newley, Megs Jenkins, John Blythe, Hal Osmond, Thora Hird, Amy Veness, Maggie Hanley, Cyril Chamberlain, Barry Letts
- Directors:
- Ralph Smart
- Producers:
- Ralph Keene
- Writers:
- Ralph Keene, John Sommerfield, Ted Willis
- Studio:
- ITV
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- Top 10 British Actresses of the 1940s, Top Films
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Reviews (1) of A Boy, a Girl and a Bike
Several boys, girls and a lotta bikes - A Boy, a Girl and a Bike review by LN
Lightweight, "pedestrian" (ha,ha) B&W 1949 film by Gainsborough Pictures filmed on location in Yorkshire. Directed by Ralph Smart (to me better known for directing Patrick McGoohan's 60's DANGER MAN). Dreamed up by Sydney Box and commissioned to be written by the prolific screenwriter Ted Willis.
Nice aerial views of the bikes winding through blissfully empty stonewalled country lanes and village streets.
Thankfully does have subtitles for the sometimes difficult rural accents.
This was flagged up on CP as a Diana Dors picture but she's not top billed, Honor Blackman, Patrick Holt and Australian John McCallum are. Lots of later well known character actors appear, like Maurice Denham, Thora Hird, Megs Jenkins.
It's at the very begining of Dors' career, she's not buxom nor platinum blonde yet but still attractive in shorts, as are all the svelte bicycle club, and she's already very competent as an actress. The scene of lots of the bike club in swimsuits and swimming in a river (filmed in Sept '48 - I hope it was warm!) is a touch risque!
McCallum was married to Googie Withers. Anthony Newley is a naughty teenager involved in filching a bike.
They said Dors was put in to appeal to the US market (was she known, that early on?) but I doubt the film or rural theme would have flown or been of any interest in the USA. Honor wasn't really in the map until the Bond film GOLDFINGER as the feisty Pussy Galore. I tend to put these on my CP list based on the actors, I don't remember specifically whether it was for Blackman or Dors - but Diana is good, tho' her airtime is minimal, Honor does a good Yorkshire accent. Gentle film, nothing spectacular, but adequate for a quiet afternoon and a slice of post war life.
"Thems were tough people oop in Yorkshire"!
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