Last Holiday (1950)

When a lonely, unappreciated farm equipment salesman discovers he has only a few weeks to live, he withdraws his savings for a final holiday at a "posh" resort.

Director:

Henry Cass

Writer:

J.B. Priestley (screenplay)

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Beatrice Campbell, Kay Walsh

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Guinness	...	George Bird
Beatrice Campbell	...	Sheila Rockingham
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Poole
Grégoire Aslan	...	Gambini (as Coco Aslan)
Jean Colin	...	Daisy Clarence
Muriel George	...	Lady Oswington
Brian Worth	...	Derek Rockingham
Esma Cannon	...	Miss Fox
Bernard Lee	...	Inspector Wilton
Sidney James	...	Joe Clarence
Campbell Cotts	...	Bellinghurst
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Sir Robert Kyle
Eveline Kirkwood-Hackett	...	Miss Hatfield (as Mme. Kirkwood-Hackett)
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Chalfont
Eric Maturin	...	Wrexham

Storyline

George Bird's rather lonely, anonymous existence as an underappreciated seller of farm machinery is jarred when his physician informs him that he is suffering from the rare malady Lampington's Disease, and only has a few weeks to live. Believing he has nothing to lose, Bird resigns his position and withdraws his modest life savings in order to spend his remaining time in a "posh" seaside resort. There he keeps his own counsel about his condition and meets people who live in a world he could never have imagined existed. Incredibly, he finds personal and professional opportunities now open to him that that he never dreamed would be his, but unfortunately, he is no position to take advantage of them, until fate lends a hand.

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Plot Keywords:

death | salesman | physician | ironic ending | police inspector | 

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Taglines:

Guinness...The Great Lover!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vacances sur ordonnance

Filming Locations:

Torquay, Devon, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), Watergate Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Remade in 2006 with Queen Latifah in the title role.

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Quotes

George Bird: [on learning he has weeks to live] When you come to think of it it's a bit thick isn't it?

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Connections

Remade as Last Holiday (2006)

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Soundtracks

The Beggar's Theme
(uncredited)
Composed by Francis Chagrin
[played on violin by busker]

User Reviews

One of my favourite films

I love this film and it's one of the few I've watched time and time again. It's a forgotten jewel and is infrequently mentioned. For me it has everything that was important of it's era. The social comment is mingled into an entertaining story. How the Health Service is expanding but people go hungry. An over worked Doctor making mistakes. George Bird being projected into a world that is not his own. The irony of riches coming his way when he thinks he has little time left. The Union's getting their grip on the country with strike action. How the upper classes view the lower and vice versa. How George Bird is now viewed as upper class because of his new setting. Post war money laundering. How war heroes can't find work. Love and jealousy. And the ironies - how he buys a dead man's clothes. How he swerves a car to avoid a dog that is due to be destroyed and turns into a road called 'Fallow End.' Then there is the acting. Sid James gives one of his great performance. His 1940's and 1950's work was superb. Sadly remembered for his Carry On performances more than the superb actor that he was. He just holds the scenes and in some cases is competing well with Guinness. For Guinness this is an early film. Ernest Thiesiger makes a great appearance along with many others including the delightful Kay Walsh. Esma Cannon's acting is well done - better than her later performances where 'silly' scripts let her down.

Please do see it if you can. It's a little gem.