Something Money Can't Buy

Anthony Steel retires from the Army to return to wife Patricia and child. He gets a job with a lot of future in it, but nothing at present; at seven pounds a week, their savings are vanishing. Miss Roc starts up an agency to do whatever the client wants: manuscript typing and baby sitting and dinner escort. Steel chucks his job and starts up a food truck and caterer, but he and his partners are tyros. As Miss Roc's business becomes successful, they both become grouchy. By the time his business becomes successful, they're snapping at each other.

It's post-war problems, with women in the work place, and who's to take care of the children? While the performers are quite good, there's little rhythm in the script, and little effort at making anything particular funny, despite old standbys like daddy in charge of toddler. Perhaps they thought it was beneath them, but the straight line to despair and the ride back to a happy ending could have used a few more grins on the way.

I would rate this 1952 movie as adequate with 6/10.Tonight there was nothing on TV (even on I-Player}, so I trawled YouTube for some 1940s British produced films but could only find this film which I saw again.I was 6 years old when this film was created and was fascinated to see again the almost empty roads in post war Britain.Incidentally 1952 was the year of the great smog over greater London and I remember an occasion having to guide my late father in our old 1936 Standard showing him the side of the road through the opaque atmosphere.Many families were crowded into rooms with their relatives, there being a national housing shortage what with all the war bomb damage.Consequently returning armed forces personnel had to adapt to certain privations when they once again restarted at their old peace time job.

Anthony Steele and Patricia Roc play the young married couple threading their way through this peace time maze and they have to earn their living while rearing their two children.Anthony has two of his army colleagues to help him start "Roving Restaurants" while Patricia starts up a domestic agency with the help of a girl friend.The results are good but they have to resolve who is to care for their two children and will their marriage withstand the strain of other partners and commitments.

Something Money Can't Buy is another gem from British cinema which turns out the best films during the 1940's and 1950's! The cast is first rate, Patricia Roc is beautiful as Anna Wilding, Anthony Steel is a handsome lead! And A.E. Matthews seems to be reviving his role as Lord Lister from the fabulous comedy "The Chiltern Hundreds" 1949! The man is a crack-up! Everybody else in the cast is wonderful! The films director pulls it off! The 16mm print I screened was beautiful black and white contrast with perfect audio! Looked excellent on the big screen! The only way to view a classic motion picture, is on film! Three Cheers for another British masterpiece!

It's hard to care about the problems faced by this genteel upper middle class family. Drippy hubby (Anthony Steel) searches for a job immediately post WW2, while Patricia Roc (who acts well) minds the baby. However, Nino Rota's beautifully soppy music almost makes up for the uneventful plot and dull marital conflicts.

Anthony Steel was best in action films as that made one forget his wooden acting style.A light comedian he is not.So the film starts out with a big negative.The script seems to include every type of domestic dispute that would become the staple fare of television sit coms in the coming decades.However a husband and wife bickering is not my idea of comedy.