A Girl in a Million

Research scientist Hugh Williams has just gone through a nasty divorce and has buried himself in his masculine research lab with Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne -- playing Caldecott & Chalmers under different names -- when in pops orphaned Joan Greenwood. Although he inveigles against the female of the species, Williams falls in love with the mute beauty. They get married and all is perfect, except that Williams wishes his wife could speak. Then she does and the point of the movie comes through.

This effort by Sidney and Muriel Box starts out in a manner that looks completely ordinary, eked out with with the starring character actors to bring in the audience, but takes an abrupt turn and has some pointed comments to make on the battle of the sexes. Take a look at the conductor during the scene at the orchestra. That's Muir Matheson, who seems to have conducted every British movie score for a quarter of a century.

Sophisticated Joan Greenwood, blessed with one of the most uniquely attractive voices in cinema history, is not permitted to use it during a good portion of this splendid comedy as a wartime accident has removed her character's aural powers, though not her skills of allurement, which easily overcome the tenuous resistance of three bachelor scientists. Hugh Williams, as Tony, is the head of a government research institute and lives happily upon the laboratory grounds with two of his subordinates, Prendergast (Basil Radford) and Fotheringham (Naunton Wayne), all served by Peabody, their butler (Wylie Watson), when through the fanciful plot written by Muriel and Sydney Box appears the stricken dumb 19 year old Gay (Greenwood) whose obvious aim is a romantic liaison with Tony. He is recently divorced from an extraordinarily garrulous Molly, played sublimely by Yvonne Owen, and he finds the inability of Gay to present her views except by the writing of notes to be an exhilarating change, soon realizing that he is responding to the young woman's silent doe-eyed blandishments, somewhat to the dissatisfaction of his two cohorts. What follows, in the face of budding romance, is amusing melodramatic business, creatively directed by Francis Searle in his first effort, with particularly tasteful verbal interplay among the three curmudgeons and with a strong performance by Watson as Peabody, the cello playing man of all domestic skills to the threesome. The most dramatic scenes revolve about a concert attended by Tony and Gay, which gives the viewer a rare opportunity to see and hear gifted pianist Eileen Joyce, a sidelight only, but one which presents an associate contrast with what transpires during the musical event and which is preparatory for the climax of this highly satisfactory film.

How delightful to see those two bachelor cricket mad fans again, Charters & Caldicott (Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne).Of course they masquerade in this film under the character names posted by the other user above.For another chance to see them view "Night Train to Munich" (1940), "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) and "The Small Back Room" (1947).I simply relish their dry English humour.In "A Girl in a Million" They are assisting Hugh Williams (Tony) in a remote government scientific research establishment where along with "Peabody" (Wylie Watson) the butler and general factotum, they are the only men in a men only establishment.This suits Tony as he has successfully obtained a divorce from a sympathetic judge from his ultra nagging wife.There is a very humorous line when the three scientists who have just met for the first time are relaxing in silence, smoking and reading in the evening after work.Tony asks C&C one innocuous question and receives a monosyllabic reply.He then retires to bed. Charters: "What do you think of him?" Calicott:"A bit talkative" Charters:"Don't worry we'll soon get him out of that!"

Into this happy trio of bachelors comes an American army officer who explains that a previous scientist, who tragically died at the base, has left a niece who needs accommodation since she has no relatives, friends etc in the UK and a hotel would be unsuitable.She needs a temporary home and he influences the trio to show pity and sympathy.He induces the reluctant trio to take her on condition it is temporary.The trio reluctantly agree to this arrangement and are then told that Kay, (Joan Greenwood), is a mute since her ship was torpedoed on the way over from the U.S.A. and the incident affected her power of speech.Another humorous scene is where Tony raises his voice to converse with Kay, in the common human failing of misunderstanding physical handicaps.Kay communicates by little written notes and hands to Tony one which reads "Don't shout, I'm not deaf!".

Kay's a dab hand at putting/golf and uses her feminine skills to beguile the bachelors who all go out with her to various social engagements.Her sights are really set on Tony but I will not divulge the outcome.I noticed Peabody (Mr.Memory from "The 39 Steps" (1939) played "Autumn" on his cello to Kay when she came into his room rather lonely in need of some company.This piece of music has been attributed by some witnesses to Wallace Hartley and his ensemble as they played it on the sinking decks of the "Titanic".

This is a fun film and I enjoyed it rating it 7/10.