George and Margaret (film)

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George and Margaret
George and Margaret (film).jpg
Judy Kelly in a scene from the film.
Directed by George King
Written by
Based on George and Margaret
by Gerald Savory
Starring
Cinematography Basil Emmott
Edited by Terence Fisher
Music by Bretton Byrd
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Brothers
Release date
  • 30 November 1940 (1940-11-30)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
Language English
Budget£37,976 [1]
Box office£34,695 [1]

George and Margaret is a 1940 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Marie Lohr, Judy Kelly and Noel Howlett. [2] It is based on the Gerald Savory's 1937 play of the same name by Gerald Savory, which had run for over three hundred performances in the West End. The film was made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers. The sets were designed by the art director Norman G. Arnold. Unlike a number of the company's films from the era, which are now considered lost, this still survives.

Contents

Synopsis

The plot revolves around the sudden and unexpected visit for dinner of George and Margaret, a couple returning from British India to visit their upper-middle class friends in Hampstead. Their unanticipated arrival plunges the house into chaos, with the domineering and snobbish mother, absent-minded father, high-spirited adult children and the put-upon servants all at odds. While most of them resent having to play host to the unlikable George and Margaret in order to please their mother's vanity, the couple's arrival and the confusion it causes serve as a catalyst for the resolution of various problems in their lives. Heading for a happy ending, George and Margaret finally arrive for dinner, only for the house to be plunged into darkness due to a short circuit.

Cast

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References

  1. 1 2 Steve Chibnall (2019) Hollywood-on-Thames: the British productions ofWarner Bros. – First National, 1931–1945, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 39:4, 687-724, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2019.1615292 at p 714
  2. Goble p.775

Bibliography