Kipps

A gentle Dickens type tale of rags to riches & back again & up again. Kipps or should that be Cuyps, came across as a likable but utterly naive character. He showed remarkable pluck as a young lad, but poor judgement as an adult trying to find his way in life, how he needed a father's guidance. I struggled slightly to buy into most of his relationships, he clearly was infatuated with his first fiancée, but did portray his general discomfort extremely well. Anne's was a lovely performance by Calvert, although again, Kipps didn't seem delighted to see her when they were re-acquainted after 7-8 years.Things worked out for him, but mostly by luck, not judgement. I suppose life is like that in many ways. Lots of thought provoking moments in a dated but somehow compelling story.

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.

Kipps (an excellently cast and believable 'nice' guy Michael Redgrave) gets told the above at the beginning - and says it to himself at the end of this film. It gives an example of the era and mindset of this quaint period fable.

From a novel by (a less than usual subject normally associated with) H G Wells, this enchanting piece of sub Dickensian clash-of-the-classes is rich in period detail, is at times witty but generally unenthralling fluff. Interestingly, directed by one Carol Reed, only 8 years before his mega-classic The Third Man, Kipps looks twenty years older in style - and quality, than his later classic. Whether that was budgetary, or intentional or simply lacking the brilliant cinematography of Robert Krasker, it shows to the point of being almost incomparable.

Kripps is a dreamy draper in Edwardian England, who believes he has a higher calling in life and through an assorted set of not very adventurous jobs and relationships he attempts to better himself, but finds he cannot.

The UK release is too long and the US version at under 90mins might find more favour. As a rainy afternoon time-waster with lashings of nostalgia it does hit the spot, though. As in a cosy, fireside scene, it's a comfortable fable like 'hot buttered muffins and tea'.

Remade as Half a Sixpence, it probably did need the extra music and dance (and Technicolour) to make it sparkle and have a wider public appeal.

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.

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.