Madame Louise
Madame Louise (also titled "The Madame Gambles"), is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and produced by Ernest G. Roy and starring Richard Hearne, Petula Clark, Garry Marsh and Richard Gale.[2] It is loosely based on the 1945 play Madame Louise by Vernon Sylvaine, which had featured Alfred Drayton and Robertson Hare, but was extensively reworked to suit the different stars of the film production.
| Madame Louise | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Maclean Rogers |
| Produced by | Ernest G. Roy |
| Screenplay by | Michael Pertwee |
| Based on | the play Madame Louise (1945) by Vernon Sylvaine |
| Starring | Richard Hearne Petula Clark Garry Marsh |
| Music by | Wilfred Burns |
| Cinematography | Wilkie Cooper |
| Edited by | Charles Hasse |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service (UK) |
Release date | 1 October 1951 (UK) |
Running time | 88 minutes [1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot summary
In order to settle her debts, the owner of a dress shop transfers control to a bookmaker, Mr Trout. Trout is wanted by a gang of criminals and much mayhem follows, causing the usual stunts by Mr Pastry. He has patented a dress, modelled by the resourceful assistant Miss Penny (Petula Clark), which can be transformed from a day dress to an evening dress and other modes by the removal of the sleeves and part of the skirt. A good deal of slapstick is involved, with Hearne's acrobatic agility being much in evidence. All is well at the end of the film as the dress shop owner recovers her business (due to Mr Pastry's incompetence) and Pastry is rewarded by being made her business partner.
Cast
- Richard Hearne - Mr Pastry
- Petula Clark - Miss Penny
- Garry Marsh - Mr Trout
- Richard Gale - Lieutenant Edwards
- Doris Rogers - Mrs Trout
- Hilda Bayley - Madmoiselle
- Charles Farrell - Felling
- Robert Adair - Bookmaker
- Anita Sharp-Bolster as Cafe Proprietress
- Vic Wise - Curly
- Harry Fowler - Trout's clerk
- John Powe - Dumbo
- Pauline Johnson - Pearl
- Mavis Greenaway - Mannequin
- Pat Raphael - Mannequin
- Doorn Van Steyne - Mannequin
- Mackenzie Ward - Business Man
- Gerald Rex - Messenger
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This is not a particularly good comedy even of its type; it may amuse firm Mr. Pastry fans but Petula Clark is completely wasted in a coy love affair". Today's Cinema wrote: "The production word, if unpretentious, is competent; and the experienced hand of Maclean Rogers has kept the action moving fast and furiously. A pleasant little film successfully aimed at the vast market for unsophisticated British comedy...Richard Hearne virtually carries the whole film, which owes all its best moments to his unflagging agility." [3]