Information
- BFI identifier51661
- Date1953-08-24 (Release)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisFarce. Meek bank clerk Henry Stirling calls in to a theatre on an errand, is reluctantly persuaded by the manager to stay for the show and becomes hypotised by Mendoza, the stage hypnotist. In his new condition, Henry proves terribly bold, keeps kissing Mendoza's glamorous assistant Angel, knocks Mendoza over and makes his escape before he can be un-hypnotised. In the following days, with no memory of the stage act, Henry remains out of character, making passes at Beryl the maid, who rather enjoys his advances, handing out the bank's money with wanton largesse and eventually pinching £300 from the bank's safe. His condition comes only in waves, leaving him occasionally as himself and puzzled as to his bouts of outrageous behaviour. His patient but despairing wife Florence, his sponging brother Charley, his inept replacement doctor, his imposing mother-in-law Mrs Whittle, his boss Mr Jackson, a detective inspector and Charley's sweetheart Honey all become embroiled in the ever-zanier antics involving the recovery of the missing money, a decanter of fake whisky, foreign acrobats and assorted efforts to get Mendoza to end the spell of hypnosis. (Synopsis)
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: Michael Anderson
Presents: Associated British Picture Corporation Ltd.
Distributed throughout the world by: Associated British-Pathe Limited
view all - CastGeorge Cole (Henry Stirling)
Veronica Hurst (Florence Stirling)
Jon Pertwee (Charley Stirling)
view full cast
Title
Will Any Gentleman...? (Original)
Reluctant Casanova (Alternative)
Will Any Gentleman (Help search)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/1787-9128-3D78-FA7E-FB08-ZCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Based on Sylvaine's play - SCR-19308
Script - Original story: Based on Sylvaine's play - SCR-19309
Ephemera: publicity - PBS-51661
Small pressbook held.
view all - Posters / Designs
- StillsPhotograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-1501946
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-1501947
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-1501948
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-1501949
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-1501950
view all - Articles
- Will Any Gentleman...?
Work - 51661 - 1953-08-24 (Release)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
No film or video materials are
held by the BFI National Archive
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