L'incomparabile Crichton

A British comedy; A story about an aristocrat and his haughty British family, stranded on a desert island with their servants, set against the pressures of island existence which soon result in a reversal of social order. This is a handsome adaptation of the 1902 stageplay by J. M. Barrie., a delightful comedy, charming and fun. Kenneth More in his role as the butler who knows his place and enjoys his place is a bit too staid, but in his scenes with female company he works better. Diane Cilento as the maid Eliza is fine, as does Martita Hunt as the grand Lady Brocklehurst. Cecil Parker is brilliant as the Earl. The story is simple, not satirical, more gentle assault on the British class system. It is well photographed, colourful, with lots of humorous props. A touch of romance helped move the story along.

JM Barrie's 1902 play is still entertaining and insightful nearly twelve decades later and really well worth checking out if you haven't already. The cast is a talented one, with Kenneth More deservedly being the most well known name. Have a lot more of Lewis Gilbert's work to see but much of what has already been seen has shown him to be a more than competent director and deserving of more credit, 'Reach for the Sky' and 'Educating Rita' being two examples.

The same can be said for the undervalued and not seen enough 'The Admirable Crichton'. While it is not perfect and may disappoint those that prefer adaptations to be one hundred percent faithful (with Tweeney's expanded role sacrificing some of what made the play so bold in its day), it is a very good film on its own terms (which is a fairer way to judge in my view) with so many good things. Good to see it get a lot of appreciation here.

Will agree that the social status jump does happen too fast and comes out of nowhere to jarring effect, the one thing that required some disbelief suspension.

Also that the ending is on the flat side, too quick and too pat.

So much is great however about 'The Admirable Crichton'. More is perfectly cast, he has such a genial charm about him and was clearly enjoying himself. Even better is Cecil Parker, who in my mind steals the film and some of the best lines come from him, great prissy authority and hilarious comic timing. Sally Ann Howes and Diane Cilento are radiant in appearance and personality. Gilbert directs with class and slickness throughout, his high appreciation for More as an actor is evident in how well he directs him in particular. The cast interact with each other beautifully.

Furthermore, 'The Admirable Crichton' looks great. Loved the sumptuous colour photography and glossy but not too much so art direction. The music is suitably elegant and fits the tone of the story well. The script has great whimsical charm, great insight in social statuses and classes and many lines that induce genuine laughter. The pace is lively. The story is slight but never dull, charmingly quaint, easy to follow and never too silly (not easy to do considering the type of story). It is also to me one of not many stage play to film adaptations from this period to not feel stage-bound or where stage origins are betrayed, and the material is loyally adapted with enough freshness to avoid it from dating.

Overall, very good and undervalued. 8/10.

This movie pokes fun at the English class system, using a shipwrecked cast as a backdrop. Kenneth More plays a typically English Butler with plenty of savvy, and reverses roles with his Master, Lord Loam, played rather nicely by Cecil Parker. More's character shows wit and some creativity in adverse circumstances, and is charmingly played. Kenneth More looks distinguished in a dinner jacket however on the island scenes, he actually was photographed from the waist up, to disguise the fact that he was wearing shorts to help him deal with the heat on location. Great movie, and one I would very much like to own a copy of. If anyone knows how I might obtain one, please get in touch. My e-mail is firehouse5@gmail.com.

Fabulous film with a moral to please all. Great cast, great story, great filming. One for everyone to enjoy and not as hammy as some of these older films. See it and judge for yourself !!

PARADISE ISLAND (UK title THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON) is a Technicolor version of the old Barrie classic. Filmed by Rank at the height of its studio period, it stars Kenneth More in the eponymous role as the butler who manages to adapt to life on a desert island. More isn't the most obvious personality to play a butler - his breezy screen persona projected a more louche image than that expected of a gentleman in service - but he makes a good stab at the role. He is complemented in the film by Cecil Parker as his employer. A much underrated actor, Parker was extremely good at playing harassed males of a certain vintage - outwardly authoritative yet inwardly insecure. In this production it's clear that he cannot manage without Crichton. Director Lewis Gilbert handles familiar material with élan, making this a satisfying piece of entertainment.