Kipps

One of Michael Redgrave's earliest screen triumphs was in the title role in Kipps. The story is from an H.G. Wells novel and it's semi-autobiographical. Like our protagonist Wells came from humble circumstances and was taken in and trained as a draper's assistant. Wells hated every minute of it and took some literary revenge against his former employers in this novel. He became a convert to socialism in those years.

Kipps is a man of humble origins who suddenly out of nowhere he inherits a modest fortune. Suddenly everything he's ever wanted in life seems attainable. Including upper class girl Diana Wynyard who steershim to her solicitor brother Michael Wilding who might est be described as a blue chip hack. Breeding, but no real brains, the polar opposite of Redgrave.

The polemics are kept to a minimum and this film's greatest asset is the direction of Carol Reed and the engaging characters he creates including most especially Redgrave. Another good character is Phyllis Calvert the childhood sweetheart of Redgrave who has common sense

The musical Half A Sixpence was created from this story and while the boisterous style of Tommy Steele is miles different from Redgrave, both tell the story well ad emphasize different aspects of the protagonist..

Kipps is a well crafted and entertaining film.

Having read the book of Kipps I knew what happened which was lucky because at times it doesn't seem as likely to happen as in the book - what am I on about? The romance of course. Young Artie has a choice - snobbish Helen who won't let him be himself ("there ARE H's, you know") or dear Ann the maid who has been his friend since they were children, and the longer he takes to make up his mind, the more idiotic he makes himself look!

Briefly, Kipps is a young draper's assistant who comes into money the very day he leaves his job. He thinks that the money will solve all his problems, but how wrong he is! And suddenly everyone he meets is either in society or trying to impress, and he is almost forbidden from talking to his old friends. Ann the maid is the only real character in the entire story, the only one who likes just to be herself, in a nice simple house, with a nice homely lifestyle.

This was my 19th Phyllis Calvert film, and I must say I'm very impressed with her cockney accent! I'm hoping that another one might pop up somewhere in what I'm still to see, but I somehow doubt it.

This is a proficient and workmanlike version of the H G Wells novel about Arthur Kipps ,who at the age of 14 ,is apprenticed to a draper in Folkestone ,Kent .He leaves his lower middle class home and the girl next door ,Ann ,on whom he is sweet ,but not before they exchange a token of endearment -two halves of sixpence ,which they pledge to join together if they should meet again .

Life as a draper's assistant is hard and the rule of the shop owner positively feudal but Kipps prospers until he is dismissed by his straight arrow boss following a night of drunkenness with the flamboyant actor Chitlow (Arthur Riscoe).His fortunes are revived when he inherits a large sum of money and a substantial property in the town .He is soon taken into society under the tutelage of Chester -a mannered and theatrical but effective performance by Max Adrian .He becomes engaged to the snobbish Helen Walsingham (Diane Wyngard)but things get complicated when a now grown up Ann (Phyllis Calvert)re-enters his life .

Class and snobbery are at the heart of Kipps -both movie and book -and these motifs form the core of the movie .It is well acted and although Redgrave lacks the lightness of touch that ,say Guinness,would have brought to proceedings ,he is still admirable .Wynard is fine but Calvert is just a tad too genteel in the role of Ann .The script ,by Launder and Gilliat ,rambles a bit and the direction of Carol Reed seems excessively detached .There is much to enjoy however ,despite its longueurs ,and students of vintage British cinema will lap it up

Michael Redgrave stars in one of his perfect roles as the draper Kipps who rises through the class system, ready to better himself and take his place in the world.

It's a steady and unremarkable tale, directed by Carol Reed and adapted by Sidney Gilliat from the novel by HG Wells. But despite the fairly routine story, it is livened up by performances by Phyllis Calvert and Diana Wynyard, both names which appeared regularly in British cinema period pieces.

'Kipps', later remade as the musical 'Half a Sixpence' with Tommy Steele, is typically English, and a typical rags to riches piece. Done well, directed with interest, but perhaps a little overlong.

This is a minor work by a neglected master director, Carol Reed, who shared with his contemporary David Lean a great talent for adapting classic English novels to film. Unfortunately, Reed's original cut for the UK, slightly under two hours in length, was trimmed of another half hour before being shown in the United States. Consequently, that version, the one most people see, seems unnecessarily choppy at times. In recreating Edwardian England, Reed was helped here by the magnificent costumes of Cecil Beaton who would go on to design "My Fair Lady" for stage and film. Young Michael Redgrave as the feckless draper's assistant who unexpectedly rises above his station is ideally cast, as are any number of excellent supporting actors from the English stage, among them, most memorably, Max Adrian as the snob Coote and Arthur Riscoe as the playwright Chitterlow. Michael Wilding, Elizabeth Taylor's second husband, is seen briefly as Kipps' solicitor.