A Matter of Innocence (1967)
"Pretty Polly" (original title)

Miss Poly decides to spend a few months with her wealthy spinster aunt as a traveling companion. While in India her Aunt's demise leaves her alone to persue her freedom and explore an arms ... See full summary »

Director:

Guy Green

Writers:

Noel Coward (story), Willis Hall,

Stars:

Hayley Mills, Trevor Howard, Shashi Kapoor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hayley Mills	...	Polly Barlow
Trevor Howard	...	Robert Hook
Shashi Kapoor	...	Amaz
Brenda de Banzie	...	Mrs. Innes-Hook
Dick Patterson	...	Rick Preston
Kalen Liu	...	Lorelei
Peter Bayliss	...	Critch
Patricia Routledge	...	Miss Gudgeon
Dorothy Alison	...	Mrs. Barlow
David Prosser	...	Ambrose
Toni Murphy	...	Lady Tourist
Ric Young	...	Lim Kee (as Eric Young)
Sarah Abdullah
Anthony Chinn	...	Japanese Proprietor
S.Y. Han	...	Oculist

Storyline

Miss Poly decides to spend a few months with her wealthy spinster aunt as a traveling companion. While in India her Aunt's demise leaves her alone to persue her freedom and explore an arms length romance with a local boy. Tender, fun loving, and poetic representation of that transition from youth to young womanhood.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Taglines:

She Isn't The Girl You Thought You Knew!

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Genres:

Romance | Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Matter of Innocence

Filming Locations:

Singapore

Company Credits

Production Co:

George-Granat Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remake of Armchair Theatre: Pretty Polly (1966)

User Reviews

Hurt by a drifting narrative, but a decent vehicle for pretty Hayley...

Bookish, virginal British lass cuts loose on vacation in Singapore, where she has a romance with her hotel escort, a local young man who may be a gigolo. From a Noel Coward story, with some surprising and funny twists and turns, but the film doesn't know quite when or how to wrap things up. In the lead, Hayley Mills is self-effacing and a little bit feisty; her makeover from a flamboyant male hairdresser is amusing, as is her later switch to teasing tourist. After Mills left the Disney company, British filmmakers mostly seemed interested in getting rid of her darned virginity; this vehicle is no different, though the colorful location is nicely captured and Trevor Howard has a terrific role as Hayley's uncle (he has a speech near the end that evokes many dimensions). Not a complete success, and the Polly character is eventually so mercurial in her emotions that we don't know where we stand with her. Otherwise, an entertaining travelogue and Mills is always worth watching. **1/2 from ****