The Man in the White Suit (1951)

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.

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

Roger MacDougall (play), Roger MacDougall (screenplay)

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

invention | capitalism | clothing industry | textile industry | capital vs labor | 

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Taglines:

Guinness is Back...Working Wonders With Wile, Whimsey and Wit!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir 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.

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Goofs

When Hill disturbs Michael Corland at the table, he holds a piece of paper. The paper swaps hands between shots.

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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)

User Reviews

another Ealing Studios gem!

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!!!!!!!"

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Man in the White Suit

Filming Locations:

Piccadilly Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,874, 18 November 2012

Gross USA:

$8,718

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,933

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System) (Gaumont-Kalee)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1