Frank Burdon (Rex Harrison), a newly arrived reporter to a Scottish town publishes an article critical of the Provost's (Cecil Parker) treatment of a poor woman and her dog. Enraged by the criticism, the Provost (who is running for election) pushes back, only to discover that he is not as favourably viewed by the town as he thought he was. Meanwhile, his daughter (a lovely Vivian Leigh) is town between a growing affection for the idealistic reporter, her love for her father, and the appeal of the charming mutt on death row. Based on a 1930 German play (Sturm im Wasserglas), the play is a satire on populous politicians and the power of the hoi polloi when they get roused by a trivial, but emotionally compelling, issue. Typical of British films of the time, the acting is very good and the script clever and very well delivered. The comic style is a bit dated but not as bad as in most American films of the same period, and the witty script more than makes up for the occasional exaggerated 'double take'. The obligatory romantic-side plot is nicely played out, with Harrison and Leigh pulling off a classic 'meet cute' with aplomb and how their budding romance is worked intro the climatic courtroom battle is quite clever. The Provost is a particularly interesting character: while vain, out of touch, and perhaps a bit vindictive, he is also brave (against his sycophants' pleading, he steps out to confront the mob who has resorted to stone-throwing violence) and confident in his conviction that he doing the right thing by enforcing the law and not making exceptions for emotional reasons. The film's dog-wranglers also deserve credit: the dog stampede through the Provost's mansion is a joy. Good, light-weight fun.
Review of Storm in a Teacup
