An altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.
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Title: The Man in the White Suit (1951)
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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 | |
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Plot Summary
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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:
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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.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The sounds of Stratton's experiment (described on the record label as "guggle glub guggle") were set to music by Jack Parnell and released on Parlophone R 3435 as "The White Suit Samba" with words by T.E.B. Clarke. 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.
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Connections
Featured in Tuesday's Documentary: The Ealing Comedies or Kind Hearts and Overdrafts (1970) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
April 1952 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Man in the White Suit See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$3,874, 18 November 2012Gross USA:
$8,718Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$8,718Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System) (Gaumont-Kalee)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1Contribute to This Page
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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!!!!!!!"