Genevieve (1953)

It's time for the annual London to Brighton antique car rally, and Alan McKim and Ambrose Claverhouse are not going to let their friendship stop them from trying to humiliate each other. ... See full summary »

Director:

Henry Cornelius

Writer:

William Rose (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Dinah Sheridan, John Gregson, Kay Kendall

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dinah Sheridan	...	Wendy McKim
John Gregson	...	Alan McKim
Kay Kendall	...	Rosalind Peters
Kenneth More	...	Ambrose Claverhouse
Geoffrey Keen	...	Policeman
Reginald Beckwith	...	J.C. Callahan
Arthur Wontner	...	Old Gentleman
Joyce Grenfell	...	Hotel Proprietress
Leslie Mitchell	...	Himself - Newsreel Commentator

Storyline

It's time for the annual London to Brighton antique car rally, and Alan McKim and Ambrose Claverhouse are not going to let their friendship stop them from trying to humiliate each other. Along the way, some old jealousies are kindled to the point where the two men decide to have a "friendly" wager on who will be the first back to London. Once the competitive juices get all fired up, however, it quickly becomes a nasty, hotly-contested affair. Ambrose's companion must suffer through her "maiden voyage" on the rally, while Mrs. McKim, on the other hand, is a long-time sufferer of her husband's obsession.

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Plot Keywords:

car racing | rally | car | brighton | road movie | 

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Taglines:

It ought to be illegal to let "Genevieve" on the streets!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die feurige Isabella

Filming Locations:

Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sirius Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The distributors were unsure of the finished film so previewed it a Camden Town (London) cinema where it did top business which resulted in it getting a premiere showing in Leicester Square,

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Goofs

A close-up of Alan and Wendy near the end of the film reverses the shot. There is no apparent reason for this.

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Quotes

Ambrose Claverhouse: Combining the London-to-Brighton run with a really beautiful emotional experience.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the opening credits: For their patient co-operation the makers of this film express their thanks to The Officers and Members of the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain. Any resemblance between the deportment of our characters and any club members is emphatically denied - - - by the club.

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Connections

Referenced in The Golden Gong (1985)

User Reviews

Pure class

This is one of those films I can just watch time and time again, as indeed we did this evening. It must be 25 years since I first saw Genevieve as an kid; I daren't guess how many times I've seen it since. But every time it still works its magic.

It's a comedy, but a gentle one - there's a few real belly laughs to be had, but mostly I'm left with a beatific smile of pure pleasure throughout. The one exception is the scene where dear old Arthur Wontner stops the McKims to admire Genevieve at a crucial point in proceedings; that scene has me welling up with tears every time.

The script from William Rose is perfectly judged and paced, and there's enough detail in there to reward multiple viewings. It's quite risqué for 1953, but done in a splendidly subtle way that can only be described as a forgotten art. And as usual, I shall be whistling Larry Adler's magnificent score for days after viewing.

I laughed, I cried, I loved the old cars. What more could you ask from a movie? Quite possibly the closest thing to perfection you're likely to see in a movie - and it didn't need special CGI effects and a cast of thousands, just four extremely talented actors, a few old cars and the glorious post-war English countryside.

11 out of 10. No, 12! 13!