An altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but both big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.
Jeffrey Wright shares how he began working with veterans, and the healing power of art.
Related News
-
Deadline – U.S.A.
02 September 2016 | Trailers from Hell -
When You’re Older, Dear Adam & Berlin Around the Corner
26 April 2016 | Trailers from Hell -
Weekly Rushes. 24 February 2016
27 February 2016 | MUBI
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
The Lavender Hill Mob
(1951)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Charles Crichton
Stars:
Alec Guinness,
Stanley Holloway,
Sidney James
The Ladykillers
(1955)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Alexander Mackendrick
Stars:
Alec Guinness,
Peter Sellers,
Cecil Parker
Whisky Galore
(1949)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Alexander Mackendrick
Stars:
Basil Radford,
Joan Greenwood,
Catherine Lacey
Guardie e ladri
(1951)
Comedy
|
Drama
Directors:
Mario Monicelli,
Steno
Stars:
Aldo Fabrizi,
Totò,
Ave Ninchi
Passport to Pimlico
(1949)
Comedy
Director:
Henry Cornelius
Stars:
Stanley Holloway,
Betty Warren,
Barbara Murray
The Browning Version
(1951)
Drama
Director:
Anthony Asquith
Stars:
Michael Redgrave,
Jean Kent,
Nigel Patrick
Kind Hearts and Coronets
(1949)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Robert Hamer
Stars:
Dennis Price,
Alec Guinness,
Valerie Hobson
La Poison
(1951)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Sacha Guitry
Stars:
Michel Simon,
Jean Debucourt,
Jacques Varennes
Crash of Silence
(1952)
Drama
Director:
Alexander Mackendrick
Stars:
Phyllis Calvert,
Jack Hawkins,
Terence Morgan
Miracle in Milan
(1951)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Fantasy
Director:
Vittorio De Sica
Stars:
Emma Gramatica,
Francesco Golisano,
Paolo Stoppa
High and Dry
(1954)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
Alexander Mackendrick
Stars:
Paul Douglas,
Alex Mackenzie,
James Copeland
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Alec Guinness | ... | Sidney Stratton | |
| Joan Greenwood | ... | Daphne Birnley | |
| Cecil Parker | ... | Alan Birnley | |
| Michael Gough | ... | Michael Corland | |
| Ernest Thesiger | ... | Sir John Kierlaw | |
| Howard Marion-Crawford | ... | Cranford (as Howard Marion Crawford) | |
| Henry Mollison | ... | Hoskins | |
 |
Vida Hope | ... | Bertha |
|
|
Patric Doonan | ... | Frank |
| Duncan Lamont | ... | Harry | |
| Harold Goodwin | ... | Wilkins | |
| Colin Gordon | ... | Hill | |
|
|
Joan Harben | ... | Miss Johnson |
|
|
Arthur Howard | ... | Roberts |
|
|
Roddy Hughes | ... | Green |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (28) »
Storyline
Sidney Stratton, a humble inventor, develops a fabric which never gets dirty or wears out. This would seem to be a boon for mankind, but the established garment manufacturers don't see it that way; they try to suppress it. Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Plot Keywords:
invention | capitalism | clothing industry | textile industry | capital vs labor |Taglines:
Should they let him play...or should they put him away? See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
April 1952 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El hombre del traje blanco See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$3,874, 18 November 2012, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$8,265, 27 January 2013Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System) (Gaumont-Kalee)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Alan Birnley: Now that calm and sanity have returned to the textile industry, I feel it my duty reveal something of the true story behind the recent crisis, a story which we were able, happily, to keep out of the newspapers at the time.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Alec Guinness performed the stunt of climbing down the side of the mansion. He was convinced by a technician, that the piano wire holding him up would not break, since only piano wire with kinks in it would be prone to breaking. As he got to about four feet from the ground, the wire did in fact break. See more »Goofs
When Hill disturbs Michael Corland at the table, he holds a piece of paper. The paper swaps hands between shots. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Alan Birnley: Now that calm and sanity have returned to the textile industry, I feel it my duty reveal something of the true story behind the recent crisis, a story which we were able, happily, to keep out of the newspapers at the time.
See more »
Connections
Featured in Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies: Kind Hearts and Accolades (2016) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
I can't say whether the post-WWII British comedies produced at the Ealing Studios are an acquired taste or not, but I am completely addicted, and The Man in the White Suit is one of the best. No need to go into the well-known plot about the threat posed to both the textile industry and the textile unions by an indestructible, dirt-resistant fiber. Suffice it to say that the slings and arrows suffered by the naively idealistic Sidney Stratton in pursuing his polymer vision make for a comedic delight. Many of the well-known faces from the world of British character actors - the nervous Cecil Parker, the suavely devious Michael Gough, and the bluntly ruthless Ernest Thesinger - put in wonderful performances. Guinness - as always and forever - is superb, and Joan Greenwood is delectable as Daphne (just the way she enunciates the word "Daddy", makes the entire movie worth seeing).
"Knudsen!!!!!!!"