Easy Money (1948)

Director:

Bernard Knowles

Writers:

Muriel Box (writer)
Sydney Box (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 January 1949 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

A win on the football pools in postwar Britain changes lives. A happy family is turned into an unhappy...

Plot Keywords:

Football Pools | Gambling | Based On Play

Cast

Jack Warner	...	Philip Stafford
Marjorie Fielding	...	Ruth Stafford
Yvonne Owen	...	Carol Stafford
Jack Watling	...	Dennis Stafford
Petula Clark	...	Jackie Stafford
Mabel Constanduros	...	Grandma Stafford
David Tomlinson	...	Martin Latham
Maurice Denham	...	Detective-Inspector Kirby
Mervyn Johns	...	Herbert Atkins
Joan Young	...	Agnes Watkins
Gordon McLeod	...	Cameron
Grey Blake	...	Wilson
Ernest Butcher	...	Clerk
Greta Gynt	...	Pat Parsons
Dennis Price	...	Joe Henty
Bill Owen	...	Mr. Lee
Hugh Pryse	...	Martin
Jack Raine	...	Managing Director
Richard Molinas	...	Johnny
Edward Rigby	...	Edward 'Teddy' Ball
Guy Rolfe	...	Archie
Raymond Lovell	...	Mr. Cyprus
Frank Cellier	...	Director of Orchestra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Blythe	...	2nd Waiter (uncredited)
Freddie Carpenter	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
E.V.H. Emmett	...	Commentary (uncredited)
Dennis Harkin	...	1st Waiter (uncredited)
David Horne	...	Mr. Hessian (voice) (uncredited)
Constance Smith	...	Wilson's Secretary (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernard Knowles

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Muriel Box		writer
Sydney Box		writer
Arnold Ridley		play

Produced by
Sydney Box	....	executive producer
A. Frank Bundy	....	producer

Original Music by
Temple Abady

Cinematography by
Jack Asher

Film Editing by
Vladimir Sagovsky		(as V. Sagovsky)

Art Direction by
Cedric Dawe
George Provis		(supervising art director)

Costume Design by
Joan Ellacott

Makeup Department
W.T. Partleton	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sydney Box	....	executive in charge of production
William N. Boyle	....	production manager (as Billy Boyle)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ernest Morris	....	assistant director (as Ernie Morris)
Bert Marotta	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack Maxsted	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie Hammond	....	sound recordist (as L. Hammond)
B.C. Sewell	....	sound director
Claude Hitchcock	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Kitty Spreckley	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Harcourt	....	camera operator
John Alcott	....	clapper/loader (uncredited)
Ronnie Taylor	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Christopher Lancaster	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director
John Hollingsworth	....	assistant musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller
Freddie Carpenter	....	choreographer
E.V.H. Emmett	....	commentary
Paddy Girdlestone	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gainsborough Pictures

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• Eagle-Lion Films (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Odeon Entertainment (2011) (UK) (DVD)
• Video Collection International (1997) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1997) | USA:Approved (PCA #12798) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Gainsborough Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Soundtrack:

Lady Spiv

four for the price of one

This movie is actually made up of 4 separate segments, each detailing how the football pools can affect someone's life.

In the first, a family discovers they have won, and at first everything is rosy. Mother wishes to move to the seaside. The son can invest some money in a mate's business. The father can rejoin the cricket team. But then the promised money causes trouble. The daughter's fiance feels inadequate marrying a rich girl. The deal is shonky. How can they live in Bournemouth AND stay in the cricket team? A lot of interesting twists in this one, to say more would give it away. 9/10 for enjoyment, though David Tomlinson does appear a bit of a bumbling fool. Keep your eyes out for 15 year old Petula Clark!

In the second, I think I fell asleep.

In the 3rd, the charming Greta Gynt does a blatantly obvious Gilda impersonation - "The Shady Lady" wears the same gloves and dress, has her hair the same way, acts the same as she sings, and is thoroughly enticing. She's a nightclub singer in need of a bit of cash. Her boyfriend works at the pools office, so she hatches an elaborate plan to fool the system and fake a win. A definite 10/10 for this one.

The final installment is light and humorous farce, about a double bass player who wins, and then discovers money isn't everything. Quick, borders on dull, but still a 6/10.