Moviecut—Spring Meeting

source: Spring Meeting

Spring Meeting

This film was directed by Walter Mycroft who was head of production at Elstree studios during the thirties.For a variety of reasons he was not a well liked man.He doesn't direct this film with much verve other than a dance sequence.It has two burgeoning film stars in Nova Pilbeam and Michael Wilding.Illness was wanted by Hitchcock for Rebecca but vetoed by Hitchcock.Sliding was of course to become one of the top stars of British cinema by the late forties.Margaret Rutherford Floyd in and out as a gambling eccentric aunt.Sarah Churchill,daughter of Winston really wasn't a particularly talented actress nor did she have the looks to make you forget her lack of ability.Basil Sidney is playing a very much atypical role for him.Normally he played dyed in the wool villains.If it was funny in 1941 it isn't now.

I loved every minute of this sweet romp. It's a simple story but the entire cast is so fun to watch. Margaret Rutherford's Aunt Bijou is hilarious as was Sir Richard and James the butler. Nova Pilbeam is simply lovely as the innocent Baby longing to "get a man" and the fascinated Tony (Wilding) is eager to comply. They haven't made films like this for a long time and more's the pity.

The first of three sex farces based on plays directed one after the other early in the war by producer Walter Mycroft; this one supposedly set in Ireland and distinguished by the presence of Margaret Rutherford repeating her stage role. Set in 1936 and apart from the big hair and even bigger forties shoulders worn by Nova Pilbeam and Sarah Churchill playing sisters it still has a decidedly thirties feel. As a director Mycroft has a liking for vertiginous pans, which keeps it moving.

An amusing romantic comedy. Enid Stamp-Taylor is delightful as Tiny Fox-Collier, an impoverished widow who takes her son Tony (Michael Wilding, charming as ever) to stay in Ireland with an old flame of hers, Sir Richard Furze, a very wealthy widower. Tiny hopes that Tony will marry Sir Richard's elder daughter, Joan, who stands to inherit her father's estate, but Tony inconveniently falls for Baby, Joan's younger sister. Meanwhile Joan is enamoured of her father's groom, Michael, who loves her, but feels he is too lowly to aspire to her hand. Tiny sets out to sort out all the lovers' problems, while also hoping to kindle her old flame, Sir Richard. There is an amusing performance by Margaret Rutherford as an eccentric elderly relative who can't resist a flutter on the horses, and several cheerful Irish servants to add a bit of local colour. A very enjoyable and warmhearted comedy.