Rent The Happy Family (1952)
3.6 of 5 from 57 ratings
1h 22min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- When the Government decides to build the Festival of Britain exhibition site, everything appears to be going to plan. All except for the fact that the main road and the pedestrian subway into the site are blocked by the House of Lords, a corner shop owned by Henry Lord (Stanley Holloway) and his wife Lillian (Kathleen Harrison). When the Lords' decline the compensation offered by government civil servant Mr Filch (Naughton Wayne) they barricade themselves in to avoid the demolition of their beloved home. And when they are joined by an ambitious BBC sports broadcaster the outside world gets to hear a running commentary of the hilarious events from inside the House of Lords'.
- Actors:
- Stanley Holloway, Kathleen Harrison, Naunton Wayne, Dandy Nichols, John Stratton, Eileen Moore, Shirley Mitchell, Margaret Barton, George Cole, Tom Gill, Miles Malleson, Geoffrey Sumner, Laurence Naismith, Edward Lexy, Cameron Hall, Hal Osmond, John Salew, Ernest Butcher, Lyn Evans, Michael Ward
- Directors:
- Muriel Box
- Producers:
- Sydney Box, William MacQuitty
- Writers:
- Muriel Box, Sydney Box
- Aka:
- Mr. Lord Says No
- Studio:
- Strawberry Media
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
- Collections:
- All the Twos: 1902-62, Getting to Know..., Introducing a British Film Family
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Reviews (1) of The Happy Family
Box set. - The Happy Family review by RhysH
Muriel Box who died in 1991 at the age of 86 remains Britain's most prolific female director. She overcame a number of problems, financial, health and, of course, the institutional prejudice that decreed that women were not capable of directing.
"The Happy Family" was her first solo film which she made at the age of 47. It's a feelgood film set against the background of the Festival of Britain.
As a snapshot of 1950s Britain it is a delight, with lovely performances from Kathleen Harrison and Stanley Holloway, with a delightful cameo from Dandy Nichols and George Cole giving us a glimpse of the type of role he will play for decades. All the figures of the establishment are bumbling buffoons as epitomised by Mr Filch, an excellent caricature from Naunton Wayne.
The vocal delivery lends itself more to the radio, or should that be wireless? It's a one camera film so each shot that has more than two people in it is arranged rather like a group photo.
As it states in the credits, the part of Winston the rabbit is "played by himself".
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