Something Always Happens

What an absolutely delightful find! According to Robert Osborne of TCM, these "quota quickies" were made by Warner Brothers at their Teddington Studios in England in order to comply with a British law requiring that a certain percentage of films shown there be domestic products. It's the story of an upper-class, but broke, ne'er-do-well (Ian Hunter) who hooks up with a street urchin (John Singer). The chemistry between the two is marvelous, and they are supported by a fine cast, including Nancy O'Neil as the love interest, Peter Gawthorne as her father and Muriel George as the landlady. The film is fast-paced and replete with snappy dialog. It's charming, funny and touching.

This was just shown on Turner Classic Movies, the first time its been shown on television in the US. It was made by Teddington Studios, the British studio then under the control of Warner Brothers. It was a "quota quickie", a film made under the British Cinematograph Films Act of 1927- created to counter the dominance of American films in Britain.

The film is a simple (if properly restrained British) love story. It begins as an unemployed car salesman, Peter Middleton, who has lost the last of his money in cards, takes a street orphan under his wing and pretending the orphan is his son, persuades a softhearted landlady to rent him a room, although he has no money.

The next day, while trying to con the chauffeur of a fancy motorcar, he meets the rich young Cynthia Hatch. However, intrigued by his audacity, she hides her identity from him when he mistakes her for a working girl and to impress her, he pretends that the car is his. And so, in the best scene in the movie, she convinces him to take her to a fancy restaurant that he, of course, he can't pay for. There she puts him up to going to the powerful Mr. Hatch (her father, still unknown to him) to pitch a scheme for petrol (gas) stations. He promises that he will make good and then hire her as his secretary.

However, her scheme backfires when her father rejects him and he goes to work for the competition. He holds her to her promise, and she finds herself working for her father's chief competitor.

Its all wrapped up neatly in a little more than an hour as the young entrepreneur gets the best of his future father-in-law and wins the girl. As the girl, Nancy O'Neil is quite good and Ian Hunter is good, if a little stiff, as the lead. After this film, he went to Hollywood, where he may be best known for playing King Richard in "The Adventures of Robin Hood".

It was directed by Michael Powell, who went on to make "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes", among other classics.

Ian Hunter is broke, and that's how he likes it. He befriends young John Singer, they charm landlady Muriel George, and Hunter has a meet cute with Nancy O'Neil. Hunter has a big idea to make petrol stations busier. Miss O'Neil suggests he take it to Peter Gawthorne. Gawthorne throws him out of his office, so Hunter takes it to the failing competition. He also takes Miss Neil into the office as his private secretary. He doesn't know she's Gawthorne's daughter.

Michael Powell's movie for Warner's Teddington branch bumps along at a good pace, with people speaking fast, things happening, and so forth. Yet the art deco look and lack of urgency about the characters' problems makes it feel a lot like the lesser stuff that RKO would be turning out in a year. I am struck by the idea that this is more a burlesque of the urban romcom than an example of the form itself, Matters fall into place far too quickly, then it's on to the next plot point. As facilely and pleasantly as it's directed, it feels insincere, as if everyone said "let's make this movie, and maybe the next one will be more interesting." And then everyone put in a full day's work, and did their best, and then just forgot about it when they came in to work the day after. But I feel that way about a lot of the lesser RKO romcoms too.

Ian Hunter stars in this British quota quickie, Something Always Happens from 1934, directed by none other than Michael Powell.

Hunter is Peter Middleton, a man down on his luck. He meets a street urchin (John Singer), and together they finagle room and board with a kindly landlady (Muriel George).

Looking to procure a foreign car for a millionaire, he meets a young woman, Cynthia (Nancy O'Neil) whom he assumes is also broke. In fact, her father owns a fleet of gas stations. When she learns he needs a job, she sends Peter to him without revealing her identity.

Cynthia's rather, Hatch, throws him out, but Peter gets the man's rival to agree to his money-making idea. Soon he's on top. He and Hatch are now rivals.

Very charming and entertaining British film.

It's always interesting to experience the work of an artist before he really comes into his own, and so this little gem from director Michael Powell is a welcome addition to our knowledge of the man's genius. He has a boldness of vision, a sureness of hand, and an audacity far ahead of its time. Particularly telling are the way he cuts from one thread of the story to another. Not a single scene is one frame too long. Notice how, at the end, the scene of the butler closing the door as he just begins his knowing smile is suddenly interrupted by the final scene of the boy on the phone. A director with less moxie might be inclined to hold that butler scene a little longer so the audience can get all warm and sentimental, but not Powell. He knows he's got us where he wants us, and it's time to move on. A better story (hey, where'd that nice landlady go?) and a bit better acting (by which I mean, less American style acting) could possibly have garnered a few more stars, but it isn't important for a "quota quickie." I enjoyed it simply for what it was -- a lark.