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Quartet (1948)

120 min  -  Drama   -  26 October 1948 (UK)
7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 332 users  
Reviews: 12 user | 5 critic

Four of Somerset Maugham's short stories are brought to the screen with each introduced by the author himself... See full summary »

Writers:

W. Somerset Maugham (stories), R.C. Sherriff
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
W. Somerset Maugham W. Somerset Maugham ...
Himself - Host
Basil Radford Basil Radford ...
Henry Garnet (segment "The Facts of Life")
Naunton Wayne Naunton Wayne ...
Leslie (segment "The Facts of Life")
Ian Fleming Ian Fleming ...
Ralph (segment "The Facts of Life")
Jack Raine Jack Raine ...
Thomas (segment "The Facts of Life")
Angela Baddeley Angela Baddeley ...
Mrs. Garnet (segment "The Facts of Life")
James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice ...
Branksome (segment "The Facts of Life")
Jack Watling Jack Watling ...
Nicky (segment "The Facts of Life")
Nigel Buchanan Nigel Buchanan ...
John (segment "The Facts of Life")
Mai Zetterling Mai Zetterling ...
Jeanne (segment "The Facts of Life")
Dirk Bogarde ...
George Bland (segment "The Alien Corn")
Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell ...
Sir Frederick Bland (segment "The Alien Corn")
Irene Browne Irene Browne ...
Lady Bland (segment "The Alien Corn")
Honor Blackman ...
Paula (segment "The Alien Corn")
George Thorpe George Thorpe ...
Uncle John (segment "The Alien Corn")
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Storyline

Four of Somerset Maugham's short stories are brought to the screen with each introduced by the author himself. In the first story, The Facts of Life, a young man with great potential on the tennis courts goes to Monte Carlo and soon finds himself doing the exact opposite of what his father recommended. In 'The Alien Corn', an aspiring pianist devotes himself to perfecting his artistic skills but finds he likely hasn't the talents to reach the heights he so desperately craves. In 'The Kite', a young man who lives at home and loves kite flying goes against his overbearing mother's wishes and marries the girl he's been dating. He's soon back home, much to his mother's delight, but re-considers when his wife takes up a new hobby. In the final chapter 'The Colonel's Lady', a middle-aged man is shocked to learn that his somewhat dowdy wife has written a collection of racy poems and is now a best-selling author. Written by garykmcd  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Author | Kite | Hobby | Colonel | Tennis  | See more »

Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

(UK) See more »

Also Known As:

A Arte de Viver See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gainsborough Pictures See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

In an unusual coincidence, Quartet has two actors who would both have eternal associations with the James Bond series. Bernard Lee, who would later play M, and Honor Blackman, who would play one of the most famous Bond girls in Goldfinger, Pussy Galore. Despite the name Ian Fleming on the credits, he is not the same man who wrote the Bond novels. See more »

Quotes

Himself, Host: In my twenties, the critics said I was brutal. In my thirties, they said I was flippant; in my forties, they said I was cynical; in my fifties they said I was competent - and then, in my sixties, they said I was superficial.
See more »

Connections

Featured in "Raiders of the Lost Archive: Episode #1.3" (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"Impromptu"
by Franz Schubert
Played by Eileen Joyce See more »