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:
First...Explosions! Then Success! Then Chaos! See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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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
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. See more »Goofs
When Mr. Harrison is called by a woman because he is wanted by Mr. Corland, he is blowing into a glass vial on a side counter which was not there in the previous shot. 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 »
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 December 1951 (Italy) 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 »
The Man in the White Suit is one of those delightful comedies that Ealing studies made so well in the 40's and 50's. The plot of this one follows a man that invents a cloth that neither gets dirty nor breaks. Of course, this is a huge breakthrough in the world of textiles. However, things are not that simple as the cloth will threaten the way of life of many people, including cloth manufacturers, the cloth mill's workforces, and even an old lady that does her washing every week. The Man in the White Suit is a film about scientific advances, and the way that they don't always help; as the old woman says at one point in the movie, "Why cant you scientists just leave things alone?"
Like a lot Ealing comedies, this one stars Sir Alec Guinness. Alec Guinness is a fantastic actor; he has the ability to light up the screen with his presence (and he does in this film, literally), but he also manages to portray his characters in a down to earth and believable way. He is suitably creepy in this film, and he captures just the right atmosphere for his character; an intelligent and ambitious, but slightly naive scientist. Along with Guinness, The Man in the White Suit also features Joan Greenwood, the deep voiced actress that co-starred with Guinness in the simply divine "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and Michael Gough, a man that would go on to get himself the role of Alfred in the Batman films. The acting in the film isn't always great, but it is always decent, and it's fits with the film.
The Man in the White Suit is an intelligent, thought-provoking and witty comedy with a moral. The comedy isn't always obvious, and it doesn't always work, but the film is not meant to be a film that provokes belly laughs, so that is forgivable. I recommend this movie, basically, to anyone that is a fan of movies.