| Father's Doing Fine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Henry Cass |
| Written by | Anne Burnaby |
| Based on | Little Lambs Eat Ivy by Noel Langley |
| Produced by | Victor Skutezky |
| Starring | Richard Attenborough Heather Thatcher Noel Purcell Virginia McKenna |
| Cinematography | Erwin Hillier |
| Edited by | Edward B. Jarvis |
| Music by | Philip Green Harold Smart |
Production company | Marble Arch Productions |
| Distributed by | Associated British-Pathé Stratford Pictures (US) |
Release date | August 1952 |
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £127,822 (UK)[1] |
Father's Doing Fine is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Richard Attenborough, Heather Thatcher, and Noel Purcell, and featuring Sid James.[2] It was based on the 1948 play Little Lambs Eat Ivy by Noel Langley.[3] It was shot at Associated British's Elstree Studios with sets designed by the art director Donald M. Ashton.
Plot
Eccentric widow Lady Buckering lives in splendour in Hampstead, but behind the scenes is struggling with poverty and bringing up four demanding daughters, one of whom is about to have a baby. Also of concern is the very nervous father-to-be and how exactly to deal with her light-fingered butler.
Cast
- Richard Attenborough as Dougall
- Heather Thatcher as Lady Buckering
- Noel Purcell as Shaughnessy
- George Thorpe as Dr Drew
- Diane Hart as Doreen
- Susan Stephen as Bicky
- Mary Germaine as Gerda
- Virginia McKenna as Catherine
- Jack Watling as Clifford Magill
- Peter Hammond as Roly
- Brian Worth as Wilfred
- Sid James as Taxi Driver
- Ambrosine Phillpotts as Nurse Pynegar
- Wensley Pithey as Police Constable
- Jonathan Field as Zookeeper
- Harry Locke as Father in Zoo
Critical reception
TV Guide called it a "Fast-moving, barely plotted comedy," and "Unpretentious entertainment";[4] while the Radio Times wrote "such is the precision of Henry Cass's direction and the exuberance of the performances that it's difficult not to be sucked into this frantic world of scatterbrained daughters, disastrous share deals and crooked butlers," concluding that "The pace disguises the fact that the humour has dated somewhat, but there's rarely a dull moment."[5]
References
- ↑ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p499
- ↑ "Father's Doing Fine (1952) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012.
- ↑ Goble, Alan (8 September 2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Father's Doing Fine | TV Guide". TVGuide.com.
- ↑ "Father's Doing Fine – review | cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
External links