The Battleaxe

The Battleaxe
Directed by	Godfrey Grayson
Story by	M.M. McCormack
Produced by	The Danzigers
Starring	Jill Ireland Francis Matthews Olaf Pooley Joan Haythorne
Cinematography	Lionel Banes
Edited by	John Dunsford
Production company	Danziger Productions
Release date	1962 (1962)
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Battleaxe is a 1962 British second feature ('B') ^[1] comedy film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Jill Ireland, Francis Matthews and Olaf Pooley. ^[2] It was written by M.M. McCormack and produced by The Danzigers.

Plot

Man-about-town Tony Evers is engaged to society girl Audrey Page. Audrey breaks their engagement because her domineering mother believes Tony is only after the family money. When Tony sues Audrey for breach of promise, Mrs Page hires a private investigator to look into Tony's affairs. When Tony is able to account for all the strange things she finds out about his past, and he also discloses that on marriage he is due a large inheritance from his grandfather, Audrey renews the engagement.

Cast

• Jill Ireland as Audrey Page
• Francis Matthews as Tony Evers
• Olaf Pooley as Cranborn
• Joan Haythorne as Mrs Page
• Richard Caldicot as judge
• Neil Hallett as Charles Whiley
• Michael Beint as Dodson
• Derek Tansley as Ernest Gabbell

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Unsubtle romantic comedy in need of more incisive court-room characterisation and less hasty direction. The playing is over-anxious." ^[3]

Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture, fashioned with TV-like hastiness, has some rough edges, but the overall effect ls not unfunny. Jill Ireland makes a refined and ravishing, Audrey, and Francis Matthews pulls a few rabbits out of the hat as Tony, but Joan Haythorne overdoes it a bit as the suspicious and arrogant Mrs. Page. The rest get by. The dovetailing of the many flashbacks is firm, and the denouement has a showmanlike twist." ^[4]

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 96. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "The Battleaxe". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
3. "The Battleaxe". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 29 (336): 50. 1 January 1962. ProQuest   1305823250.
4. "The Battleaxe". Kine Weekly . 538 (2840): 10. 8 March 1962. ProQuest   3127057950.

External links

• The Battleaxe at IMDb