Quiet Weekend

Based on a play it is no too stagebound.Frank Cellier for once does not play a villain.The only real problem is who on earth would have a crush on Derek Farr.Only a lovstruck 18 year old.

The charm in this film lies in its simplicity. Based on a stage play, it shows a middle class family staying at their weekend cottage, leading the easy type of life that has sadly long since disappeared. The highlights of this film are the dreadful concert and the poaching expedition.

For anyone born in the UK before about 1935 (as I was) this movie will bring back memories of austerity, such as very few cars and very little food and primitive plumbing. We all had to make do with what we had; the top rate of income tax was around 95%. Nevertheless the middle classes had those delicious cut-glass English accents; "thanks" was pronounced "thenks". The lower classes such as the old poacher, spoke their lines in broad accents and were usually considered to be comic characters.

That has all changed now. This movie is good entertainment but also of value to the social historians. It is the way the British coped with the rigors of victory after WW II, i.e. paying off the huge loans owed to the USA while trying to become a socialist society.

Before seeing this 1946 film I recommend the viewer sees the earlier 1941 film "Quiet Wedding" which was also based on a stage play by Esther McCracken.The latter film introduced the basic characters of the Royd family but there are some glaring anomalies.First the two films/plays are not sequential and some of the characters in "Quiet Wedding" are not present in "Quiet Weekend".Principally I missed not seeing Margaret Lockwood again as Janet Royd, I suppose in 1946 (the year of my birth) she was busy elsewhere filming "Bedelia".Instead of a young Muriel Pavlow, we have Barbara White playing the impish Miranda Bute who is the cousin of Denys Royd (Derek Farr) and on whom she has a girlish crush.This time Miranda tries to sabotage Denys' romance with Rowena (Helen Shingler) whose character seems to gradually evaporate as the film develops.

Another reviewer made the point about the large number of orders given by Mildred Royd (Marjorie Fielding) to all and sundry, no wonder the Fuhrer did not stand a chance when up against British women like this during the war!!Another actress Josephine Wilson (who played Mary Jarrow) eventually becomes engaged to Adrian Barrasford played by Frank Cellier, appeared to be the mysterious Madame Kumar from Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) who posed as a replacement to "The Lady" played by Dame May Witty.Interestingly, Frank Cellier played Derek Farr's father in the earlier film.Finally the actor Ballard Berkeley ("The Major" in "Fawlty Towers") makes an earlier appearance here playing "Jim Brent".

I laughingly agreed with the user comments above about the very stagy, comic way of 1930s speaking and pronouncement of words in that "I say anyone for tennis?" way of speaking.As I said in "Quiet Wedding" it is all rather endearing now.I rated this film 6/10 and admit to giving "Quiet Weekend" a lesser rating since I am a Margaret Lockwood fan, I missed seeing her in this almost sequel.

"Quiet Weekend" is a wonderful, warm and funny film set in the English countryside in 1946. This British comedy has none of the prominent actors who would be known outside of the UK at the time - especially across the pond in the Americas. Most of the cast had short film careers, so few were likely to be known even in the UK then. In a way, that makes this film all the more notable, because to a person the roles played here are very good.

The comedy here isn't from clever or funny dialog, although the script has an occasional barb or witticism. Mostly, it's just in the relationships of this family and friends. One particular caper involves the lord of the house, Arthur Royd, the local justice of the peace, friend Adrian Barrasford, the Royd's caretaker, Sam Pecker, and a niece, Miranda Bute. They set out at night to poach a salmon from a neighbor's stream. That's quite funny by itself. A community playhouse evening is also worth a couple of laughs. And, a local jailhouse with a court scene is very good and funny.

This is a delightful and feel-good film that those who like old movies should enjoy. Here are a couple favorite lines.

Rowena Hyde, after kissing with Denys Royd, "That was very pleasant." Denys, "Pleasant? It was wonderful!"

Adrian Barrasford, the local justice of the peace, says to Arthur Royd after their caper the night before, "No, I warn you. I shall fine us very heavily."