The Extra Day

Delightful film about making a film!

On the way to the lab, the last reel of a movie falls out of the truck, so the director must reshoot the scenes. In order to do that, he has to keep his lead (Simone Simon) from flying to Paris and collect all the extras who worked on the shoot.

The director sends associate producer and fledgling director (Richard Basehart) to gather everyone. One married couple is moving in with their daughter and has already left their old residence; another one is about to wreck his face in a prize fight; one young woman is about to marry a teen singing idol on the day of the reshoot. And the leading woman has romance on her mind.

Pleasant enough comedy. I thought the business with the old couple was very sweet. I enjoyed the performances.

The paths of the stars of 'La Bete Humaine' and 'La Strada' incongruously crossed on the set of this frivolous little picture which like most old British movies as usual ironically - given the subject matter - lies in its bit players (Glenda Jackson can just be glimpsed as one of Denis Lotis's teenaged fans near the end).

It's all very dull apart from a surprisingly rough boxing match between Tom Clegg and Sid James (both of whom not long afterwards became regulars in the early 'Carry On' films) and a likeable supporting turn by Colin Gordon as Josephine Griffin's father.

Unless you're a die-hard old movie buff, you might not make it through The Extra Day. I stuck with it because I thought the premise was interesting, and because I wanted to catch Sidney James in a pre-Carry On flick. The film starts off on a movie set, filming the final scene of a movie. Then, with the canister packaged up, the reels get sent on the truck to the main studio. However, director Richard Basehart gets a call with bad news: the last reel fell out of the truck and the footage was spoiled. He has to stay up all night contacting and convincing the actors and extras involved in that final scene to return to work in the morning.

Some of the side stories involving the actors are cute, and some are a bit sad, like the older couple whose daughter was planning on putting them away in a nursing home. Thrown in for good measure is a romance between Richard and his leading lady, Simone Simone. She pretends not to give him the time of day, but you can tell she has just as much a crush on him as he does her. Keep your eyes peeled for Beryl Reid, Shani Wallis, and Glenda Jackson, but don't blink or you'll risk missing them.

A movie company truck loses a can of film containing the final scene of a just completed feature. The film's director insists that the scene be re-shot immediately and sends Richard Basehart to round up the scene's "extras". This pleasant British comedy focuses on the stories of these extras (note clever title), and on Basehart's efforts to locate them. Best episode is about the extra who is also a prizefighter: Basehart must make sure that he doesn't get punched in the face because visible marks would delay the new shooting. There is also a nice light romance between a very young George Baker and Simone Simon. As always the charming Simon is a pleasure to watch. Viewers who enjoy her in this movie will also want to see her in "The Devil and Daniel Webster" where her considerable sex appeal is effectively used to enhance the emotional impact of that film.

I wanted to give this film a 6.5 out of 10, but since IMDB does not allow this I give it a 7.

Richard Basehart whose strength isn't comedy is the American over across the pond giving The Extra Day a bit of box office punch. Except for Sid James this film needed all the punch it could get.

Laurence Naismith plays a film director who has just shot and wrapped his final scene of a film. But when taking the film to the editing department the can fell out of the back of the truck. Now Naismith has to shoot that last scene again and all the actors and crew have to be located and brought back to the studio on a Monday. Naismith's man Friday or Associate Producer Basehart is given the task over a weekend.

Leading lady over from France Simone Simon has romance on her mind with George Baker who not to put to fine a point on it is a stalker. With that in mind her story was a bit weird to say the least.

Leading man Dennis Lotis is a singing idol and he's also got fans and concerts and matrimony to contend with. Basehart arranges for a kidnapping for him.

Sid James who doubles as a prizefighter who's seen his best days still makes a living at it though usually with the loser's share. He's the best one in this film and Basehart resorts to some bribery in his case.

The Extra Day is a rather dated and not all that funny comedy. Maybe in the United Kingdom they might like it better.