Value for Money

Value for Money is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring John Gregson, Donald Pleasence, Leslie Phillips, Joan Hickson, Derek Farr and Diana Dors.

Value for Money
Directed byKen Annakin
Produced bySergei Nolbandov
executive
Earl St John
Written byR. F. Delderfield
William Fairchild
Based onnovel by Derrick Boothroyd
Starring
Music byMalcolm Arnold
CinematographyGeoffrey Unsworth
Edited byGeoffrey Foot
Release date
9 August 1955 (1955-08-09)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Premise

A wealthy young man (Gregson) from Yorkshire visits London after his father's death. He goes to a nightclub and meets a performer (Dors). She decides to take him for every penny he is worth, and he decides to let her.[1]

Cast

Production

The film was based on a novel by Derrick Boothroyd was published in 1953.[2]

Producer Sergei Nolbandov did not want Diana Dors in the movie but Ken Annakin, who had directed the actor in Vote for Huggett, insisted.[3] She was paid £5,000; it was her first movie under a three picture contract with Rank.[4]

Filming started 28 December 1954. It was the first film shot under Rank's new program to shoot everything in Vista Vision.[5] Filming took place at Pinewood Studios.[6] Much of the Yorkshire location filming was in Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, historically an area within the Heavy Woollen District.

Reception

Variety said the film will "give considerable amusement to unsophisticated local audiences, but which, may find it tough sledding in the Overseas territory. In the U. S,, particularly, the Yorkshire dialect will not be a selling aid. This is a modestly amusing piece, staged on a bigger scale than the story would seem to warrant, and offering a touch of spectacle in a couple of song and dance numbers."[7]

Filmink argued the movie should have focused on Dors rather than Gregson.[8]

References
  1. "ROMANTIC COMEDY". The Australian Women's Weekly. 24 (5). 4 July 1956. p. 55. Retrieved 10 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "HERE ARE THE NOVELS — Love v. brass in Yorkshire". The News. 61 (9, 364). Adelaide. 14 August 1953. p. 18. Retrieved 10 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. Bret, Dvaid (2014). Diana Dors: Hurricane in Mink. Aurum Press. ISBN 9781781313411.
  4. Dors, Diana (1960). Swingin' Dors. World Distributors. p. 111.
  5. "Pinewood Rank Prod Goes 100% V Vision". Variety. 5 January 1955. p. 51.
  6. "GLAMOR MUSICAL AT PINEWOOD". The Australian Women's Weekly. 22 (39). 23 February 1955. p. 42. Retrieved 10 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Review of film at Variety
  8. Vagg, Stephen (7 September 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.


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