Please Turn Over
Please Turn Over is a 1959 British comedy film written by Norman Hudis, produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas. It featured Ted Ray, Julia Lockwood, Jean Kent, Joan Sims, Leslie Phillips, Charles Hawtrey, Lionel Jeffries and Victor Maddern. The screenplay concerns an English town that is thrown into chaos when the daughter of one of the residents publishes a book detailing the supposed secrets of the inhabitants. It was based on the play Book of the Month by Basil Thomas.
| Please Turn Over | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Gerald Thomas |
| Produced by | Peter Rogers |
| Written by | Norman Hudis Basil Thomas (play) |
| Starring | Ted Ray Leslie Phillips Julia Lockwood |
| Music by | Bruce Montgomery |
| Cinematography | Edward Scaife |
| Edited by | John Shirley |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (UK) Columbia Pictures (USA) |
Release date | December 1959 (UK) 28 April 1961 (USA) |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
In a quiet English town, seventeen-year-old Jo Halliday lives a fairly boring life working as a hairdresser and living at home, with her nagging mother, pompous father, and fitness-obsessed aunt. Her father, an accountant, continually wishes that his dreamy, untidy daughter could be more like his secretary Miss Jones.
One morning, the local newspaper reveals that Jo has authored a book—The Naked Revolt—which is an instant bestseller. It tells the story of a young girl who discovers the truth about her family and neighbours, and flees to London to become a prostitute.
Unfortunately, the town's residents believe the book to be a true portrait of the family. Her father finds himself under suspicion at work, as his colleagues believe he has been stealing money, and her mother is regarded as a harlot who has been conducting a twenty-year affair with a retired army officer who gives her driving lessons and is Jo's real father. Her local doctor is painted as a philanderer who is sexually involved with a number of his patients while ignoring the desperate advances of his drunken assistant, Jo's aunt.
In fact, none of this is true: her father is scrupulously honest and in love with her mother; the local doctor is a shy man, and the former army officer is simply a family friend. Jo has left town for London with a young playwright who is interested in turning her book into a play. After discovering they are kindred spirits, the two become engaged.
When they return home, Jo is confronted by her angry family and neighbours. The doctor is threatening to sue, and her father and mother have begun questioning each other's fidelity.
Cast
- Ted Ray - Edward Halliday
- Jean Kent - Janet Halliday
- Leslie Phillips - Dr. Henry Manners
- Joan Sims - Beryl, the maid
- Julia Lockwood - Jo Halliday
- Tim Seely - Robert Hughes, the playwright
- Charles Hawtrey - Jewellery Salesman
- Dilys Laye - Miss Jones, the secretary
- Lionel Jeffries - Ian Howard, the driving instructor
- June Jago - Gladys Worth, the Aunt
- Colin Gordon - Maurice
- Joan Hickson - Saleswoman
- Victor Maddern - Man at station
- Ronald Adam - Mr. Appleton
- Cyril Chamberlain - Mr. Jones
- Marianne Stone - Mrs. Waring
- Anthony Sagar - Barman
- Lee Patterson - Rod