Will Any Gentleman...?

Name: Will Any Gentleman...?
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1953-10-30
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: George Cole, Veronica Hurst, Heather Thatcher

19531953
1h 24m

5.9/10

174

George Cole in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Comedy

About a henpecked bank clerk who lives a dreary existence in suburban London. After a mix-up at a music hall, he finds himself onstage with ambiguously foreign magician Mendoza, who hypnotiz... Read allAbout a henpecked bank clerk who lives a dreary existence in suburban London. After a mix-up at a music hall, he finds himself onstage with ambiguously foreign magician Mendoza, who hypnotizes him into losing all of his inhibitions.About a henpecked bank clerk who lives a dreary existence in suburban London. After a mix-up at a music hall, he finds himself onstage with ambiguously foreign magician Mendoza, who hypnotizes him into losing all of his inhibitions.

5.9/10

174

Director
- Michael Anderson
Writer
- Vernon Sylvaine(play "Will Any Gentleman?")
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Heather Thatcher in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Jill Melford in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Josephine Douglas in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Diana Decker and Jon Pertwee in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Harry Herbert in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Jill Melford and Jon Pertwee in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

William Hartnell and Sidney James in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Peter Butterworth and Jon Pertwee in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)

Director
- Michael Anderson
Writer
- Vernon Sylvaine(play "Will Any Gentleman?") (screenplay)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

hypnosis

Taglines
- one gentleman did...
Genre
- Comedy
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
William Hartnell (Detective Inspector Martin) and Jon Pertwee (Charley Sterling) both later played the Doctor in Doctor Who (1963): Hartnell played the First Doctor from 1963 to 1966 while Pertwee played the Third Doctor from 1970 to 1974.

Connections
Remade as Six with Rix: Will Any Gentleman? (1972)

Soundtracks
Mona
(uncredited)
Music by Joyce Cochrane
Lyrics by Sonny Miller

Top review

Misses the bullseye but still good fun

While this film version of a then popular stage show never quite gathers the momentum to be a full success, it's likable and fitfully amusing.

The biggest weakness is how the key plot function of George Cole's character turns from a meek bank clerk to an unstoppable force of nature in an instant. There's no trigger for this to occur so it seems like it only exists when it's convenient for the plot and therefore feels contrived and forced. As a lot of humour and narrative is reliant on this, it's a significant problem for the film.

Still, after a slow start the film becomes increasingly fun. This is mainly due to an excellent cast. Cole is good, but some of the supporting performances are even better. Joan Sims is a delight as Cole's maid and Alan Badel - completely unrecognisable from his usual upper- class persona - is a delight as the hypnotist who begins all of Cole's problems.

Worth a look.

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