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Ealing comedies

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"Ealing Comedy" redirects here. For the film, seeEaling Comedy (film).

TheEaling comediesis an informal name for a series of comedy films produced by the London-basedEaling Studiosduring a ten-year period from 1947 to 1957. Often considered to reflect Britain'spost-warspirit,[1][2]the most celebrated films in the sequence includeKind Hearts and Coronets(1949),Whisky Galore!(1949),The Lavender Hill Mob(1951),The Man in the White Suit(1951) andThe Ladykillers(1955).Hue and Cry(1947) is generally considered to be the earliest of the cycle, andBarnacle Bill(1957) the last,[3]although some sources listDavy(1958) as the final Ealing comedy.[4]Many of the Ealing comedies are ranked among the greatest British films, and they also received international acclaim.[5][6][7][8]

TheEaling Studioslogo as it appears in the opening credits ofThe Titfield Thunderbolt(1953)

History

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In the immediate post-war years there was as yet no mood of cynicism: the bloodless revolution of 1945 had taken place, but I think our first desire was to get rid of as many wartime restrictions as possible and get going. The country was tired of regulations and regimentation, and there was a mild anarchy in the air. In a sense our comedies were a reflection of this mood, a safety valve for our more anti-social impulses.

Ealing Studios headMichael Balcon,1969[9]

Relatively few comedy films were made at Ealing Studios until several years after World War II.[10]The 1939 filmCheer Boys Cheer,featuring the rivalry between two brewing companies, one big and modernist, the other small and traditional, has been characterised as a prototype of later films. One of the few other films that can be seen as a direct precursor to the Ealing comedies isSaloon Bar(1940), in which the regulars of apublic housejoin forces to clear the name of the barmaid's boyfriend who has been accused of murder.[11]Other wartime comedies featuring actors such asTommy Trinder,Will HayandGeorge Formbywere generally in a broadermusic halltradition and had little in common with the later Ealing comedy films. Ealing made no comedy films at all in 1945 and 1946.[12]

Comedies

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T. E. B. Clarkewrote the screenplay forHue and Cry(1947), about a group of schoolboys who confront a criminal gang, which proved to be a critical and commercial success.[12]It was followed by three films withCelticthemes:Another Shore(1948), about the fantasies of a boredDublincustoms official,A Run for Your Money(1949), depicting the adventures of two inexperienced Welshmen in London for an importantrugbyinternational, andWhisky Galore!,(1949) aboutScottishislanders during the Second World War who discover that a freighter with a large cargo ofwhiskyhas run aground.

Kind Hearts and Coronets(1949) is adark comedyin which the son of an impoverished branch of the aristocratic D'Ascoyne family murders eight other members, all of whom are played byAlec Guinness,in order to inherit the family dukedom and gain revenge on his snobbish relations. InPassport to Pimlico(1949), a newly uncovered mediaeval charter causes the inhabitants of the London neighbourhood ofPimlicoto create their own independentnation stateand endrationing,leading to a variety of unexpected problems anddiplomatic incidentswith the British government.

The Magnet(1950), set inLiverpool,is about a boy whose acquisition of amagnetleads to a series of adventures in the city. InThe Lavender Hill Mob(1951) a timidbank clerkgets together an unlikely gang of accomplices to snatch a delivery ofgold bullion.Thearmed robberyproves surprisingly successful, but things start to go wrong when they attempt to melt down their haul into modelEiffel Towers.The Man in the White Suit(1951) features the efforts of a zealous young scientist to create a new kind of clothing material that will never get dirty and never wear out – an invention that threatens the livelihoods of bothbig businessand thetrade unionswho join forces to try to prevent the publication of this new discovery.

The Titfield Thunderbolt(1953) echoes the theme ofPassport to Pimlico,switched to a rural setting, with a small community standing up for their local interests when theirbranch lineis threatened with closure byBritish Railwaysin a forerunner of theBeeching cutsa decade later. The villagers join forces to keep their railway running, but face competition and sabotage from a rivalbus company.

Meet Mr. Lucifer(1953) follows atelevision setas it is passed on from one owner to another, causing dissatisfaction wherever it goes. The film serves as a warning about the effects of rapidly expanding television use.

The Love Lottery(1954) sees amatinee idolHollywood star, played byDavid Niven,agree to take part in a "lovelottery".The Maggie(1954) features a clash of culture and wills between a wily Scottish boat captain and a vigorous American business tycoon who has mistakenly contracted the boat to carry a cargo for him. InThe Ladykillers(1955) a gang of criminals rent a room from the elderly Mrs Wilberforce while they're pretending to be astring quintetlooking for a space to practice. They plan to use the house to stage a robbery at nearbyKing's Cross railway station.On the brink of escape, they are thwarted by Mrs Wilberforce who discovers their true purpose. The gang agree that she has to be murdered before she can go to the police, but prove incapable of doing this, and begin turning on each other instead.

Later comedies

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Who Done It?(1956) was the final comedy made at Ealing Studios, before it was sold to theBBC.It parodiesdetective fictionwith a young man setting himself up in business as aprivate detectiveafter receiving a windfall of £100. His confused efforts to solve a crime lead to his becoming entangled inCold Warespionage. The film was closer in style to traditional 1930s comedy, rather than the type of films Ealing had become known for over the previous decade.[13]

Two final comedies were released under the Ealing banner, but made atElstree Studios.Barnacle Bill(1957) follows Captain Ambrose who, after leaving the navy, buys a run-downpieron the English seaside. Ambrose tries to revive the pier crossing swords with the local council who have a scheme to redevelop the entire seafront, personally enriching themselves while ruining him. Ambrose battles them by severing his connection with the shore, registering his pier as a ship under a foreign flag, and marketing it as a tourist destination for those tooseasickto go on cruises. InDavy(1958) a promising entertainer tries to decide whether to strike out on his own, or stay with his family's strugglingmusic hallact. No further comedies were made by Ealing, and after the thrillerSiege of Pinchgut(1959), the brand was absorbed into the widerRank Organisation. The previous year Rank had releasedRockets Galore!,a sequel toWhisky Galore!,but its production was unconnected with Ealing.

Personnel

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This plaque for SirAlec Guinness,who starred in six Ealing comedies, was installed by theBritish Film Institutein London in recognition of his contribution to British cinema.

Many of the films were built around arepertorygroup of actors, screenwriters, directors and technicians. Directors wereAlexander Mackendrick,Charles Crichton,Robert Hamer,Charles Frend,Michael RelphandHenry Cornelius.Composers includedErnest IrvingandGeorges Auric.Notable actors who became prolific in these films includedStanley Holloway,Alec Guinness,Joan Greenwood,Cecil Parker,Moira ListerandPeggy Cummins.[14]A number of actors also appeared frequently in smaller roles such asEdie MartinandPhilip Stainton. In what was his first major film role,Peter Sellersstarred opposite Alec Guinness inThe Ladykillers.InKind Hearts and CoronetsGuinness had played multiple roles (which Sellers would later emulate). Sellers stated that during filming he "used to watch Alec Guinness do everything, his rehearsals, his scenes, everything. He is my ideal... and my idol."[15]

Legacy

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Stage adaptationofThe Ladykillersplaying at theGielgud Theatrein London'sWest End,2011

Though Ealing Studios has come to be remembered for its comedies, they were only a tenth of its productions.[16]Conversely,Gainsborough Picturesis associated with theGainsborough melodramasthough it also produced many comedies.

Many of the Ealing comedies are ranked among the greatest British films, withKind Hearts and Coronetsranked number 6,The Ladykillersranked number 13 andThe Lavender Hill Mobranked number 17 (all three featuringAlec Guinness) in theBFI Top 100 British films.[6]These films were also an international success and received acclaim in the US. In 2005,Kind Hearts and Coronetswas included inTime's list of the top 100 films since 1923.The Ladykillerswon theBAFTA Award for Best British Screenplayand was nominated for anAcademy AwardforBest Original Screenplay.[7]The Lavender Hill Mobwon the Academy Award forBest Writing, Story and Screenplay,theBAFTA Award for Best British Film,and Guinness was nominated for the Academy Award forBest Actor in a Leading Role(his first Oscar nomination).[8]Former North Korea leaderKim Jong Ilwas also said to have been a fan of Ealing comedies, inspired by their emphasis on team spirit and a mobilised proletariat.[17]

The Ealing Comedies,a documentary examining the films and featuring interviews with many key players, was screened as part ofBBC1's Tuesday Documentary strand in April 1971.[18]

Ealing comedies were adapted for radio and broadcast overBBC Radio 4,includingKind Hearts and Coronetsin 1990 starringRobert PowellandTimothy Batesonand in 2007 starringMichael KitchenandHarry Enfield.

List of Ealing comedy films

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References

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  1. ^Thorpe, Vanessa (29 March 2020)."Ealing comedies remind us that life is many shades of grey".The Guardian.Retrieved16 May2021.
  2. ^French, Philip (9 August 2014)."The Ealing Studios Collection Vol 1 review – Philip French on three immaculately restored Ealing classics".The Guardian.Retrieved16 May2021.
  3. ^Parkinson, David.Radio Times Guide to Films 2010,BBC Worldwide, 2009.ISBN978-0-9555886-2-4
  4. ^http:// britmovie.co.uk/studios/Ealing-StudiosArchived30 June 2015 at theWayback MachineEaling Studios Filmography
  5. ^"Ealing Comedy".BFI.Retrieved19 April2023.Even more than half a century after the curtains closed on the classic production outfit, Ealing comedy is one of British cinema's most powerful brands
  6. ^abBritish Film Institute – Top 100 British Films(1999). Retrieved 19 April 2023
  7. ^ab"The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners".Oscar Legacy.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Archived fromthe originalon 7 May 2016.Retrieved16 July2012.
  8. ^ab"The 25th Academy Awards (1953) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2014.Retrieved19 April2023.
  9. ^Balcon, Michael (8 March 1969)."Presenting Michael Balcon".Birmingham Daily Post.Retrieved6 June2021.
  10. ^Murphy p.209
  11. ^Murphy p.209-210
  12. ^abMurphy p.211
  13. ^Burton & O'Sullivan p.21-22
  14. ^"On the set of classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers - in pictures".The Guardian.Retrieved17 April2023.
  15. ^Lewis, Roger (1995).The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.Random House. p. 368.
  16. ^Sweet p.157
  17. ^"Kim Jong-il: The cinephile despot".BBC News.19 December 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2021.Retrieved20 September2020.
  18. ^"The Ealing Comedies".BBC.Retrieved5 June2021.

Bibliography

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  • Burton, Alan & O'Sullivan, Tim.The Cinema of Basil Dearden and Michael Relph.Edinburgh University Press, 2009.
  • Murphy, Robert.Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48.Routledge, 1992.
  • Sweet, Matthew.Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema.Faber and Faber, 2005.
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