Information
- BFI identifier27503
- Date1949 (Copyright)
1949-10-10 (Release) - Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisComedy. High-up Treasury official Arthur Prohack is known for keeping a firm control on the handling of public money, by economising wherever possible. When he comes into an inherited fortune of a quarter of a million pounds, though, he has no idea how to cope with his personal wealth. He invests unwisely (in partnerships with his son, and with a businessman he knows), he goes along with his wife Eve's spending on a grand new house and lifestyle, and he falls out with his daughter Mary, who is in involved in a theatre group (which Prohack is also funding) and who would rather be poor than be told what to do by her parents. Prohack's life and business are managed to a large extent by his new private secretary, Mimi Warburton, whom he meets when their cars have a crash. Mimi and Arthur's son Charles take a shine to each other, which complicates things. Further complications arise from Prohack senior's and junior's respective relationships with Lady Maslam, a monacle-wearing, enigmatic woman of business. Prohack falls ill, and, while listening to 'Ivanhoe' on the radio, has a surreal dream in which he, a knight in armour, must deal with the chaos that now surrounds his modern life. When the stock market drops dramatically, Prohack is glad to think he will be poor again. He learns, though, that one of the schemes he has invested in has unexpectedly made a large profit from his other losses, and his fortune is regained. He donates it anonymously to the Treasury, agreeing it must be from a black-marketeer with a guilty conscience. (Synopsis)
- Work historyOpening dedication note: "Dedicated respectfully to that great little huge body of men and women the British Civil Service." Title display note: The title appears onscreen as: Dear Mr.Prohack [sic, with no space between the punctuation and the surname]. This may be considered a matter of graphics, however, and so disregarded. Character name note: The character Mimi Warburton gives her name as such, and is told by Mr Prohack never again to use the name Mimi in his presence; he says he will call her Mildred. Although she consents to this, she neither confirms nor denies that Mildred is her actual name. (In the novel, her name is given as Mimi Winstock. For plot reasons, Mr Prohack asks her to go by the name Mary Warburton, which he has made up.) Period note: At the time, a present-day version of Arnold Bennett's novel.
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: Thornton Freeland
©: Pinewood Films Ltd
Production Company: Wessex Film Production
view all - CastCecil Parker (Arthur Prohack)
Glynis Johns (Mimi Warburton)
Hermione Baddeley (Eve Prohack)
view full cast
Title
Dear Mr. Prohack (Original)
Mr. Prohack (Working)
Dear Mister Prohack (Help search)
Dear Mr Prohack (Help search)
Dear Mr.Prohack (Help search)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/B3A1-7CB4-E6D0-B2F3-727C-PCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm BW Positive - CTA - Combined - Viewing
35mm BW Positive - Polyester - Combined - Viewing
D3 - Video - Viewing
VHS cassette - Video - Viewing
view all - Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Novel by Arnold Bennett; play by Edward Knoblock and Arnold Bennett - SCR-6538
Script - Original story: Novel by Arnold Bennett; play by Edward Knoblock and Arnold Bennett - SCR-6539
Ephemera: publicity - PBM-27503
Medium pressbook held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-2701145
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-2701146
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-2701193
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-2701194
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-2701131
view all - ArticlesFilm Industry v6 n41 10 Feb 1949 - Credits, Prod. DetailsFilm Industry v6 n41 10 Feb 1949 - Credits, Prod. Detailsview all
- +Dear Mr. Prohack
Work - 27503 - 1949 (Copyright)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
Hierarchy Display