Geneviève

Most people in the United Kingdom would probably know second leads Kenneth More and Kay Kendall today than they would John Gregson and Dinah Sheridan. But all four pitch in and make Genevieve as delightful and refreshing a comedy today as it was in 1953 when it came out.

The married Gregson and free spirit More are best of friends with a shared interest in antique cars. But every year that friendship goes under an extreme strain when there's an antique car rally and people with those old vehicles. Sheridan who is married to Gregson surrenders a bit unwillingly every year to the obsession that overtakes her husband.

If this film had been made in America, Jack Carson would have been perfect casting for More's role. He's an amiable blowhard with a different woman every few months and this month's flavor is Kay Kendall.

The rally is not a race it's just a bunch of folks who own these cars and drive them en masse from London to Brighton and back. But Gregson and More make it a race between themselves and there's a bet on as well. In America we would say racing for pink slips and in Gregson's case what's at stake is his beloved vehicle Genevieve.

The trip with both of them and what happens to these antique cars has loads of laughs in it. That's ratcheted up exponentially during the climax as both cars are just returning to London and shall we say showing their age.

Kay Kendall's best moment is at a nightclub where she's totally blotto and wants to play the trumpet. I'm sure it was dubbed, but sure enough a swinging version of the old ballad Genevieve is blown by Kendall. She's her usual marvelous self.

It's over 60 years since Genevieve came out. I wonder if that rally is still held and what is considered an antique now. This film certainly isn't.

What a wonderful film this is, it takes you back to an England that is no more.The four leading stars compliment each other, with the beautiful Kay Kendall leading the way and Kenneth More having to put up with her dog as well. The great harmonica score enhances the film and sets the mood(reminds me of last of the summer wine music). I have lost count of the number of times i have seen this film but it is as enjoyable now as it was the first time i saw it. The plot is simple just two mates having a wager to see who will be the first to arrive in Brighton while taking part in the veteran car rally and their poor female partners having to suffer all the way. Pure enjoyment from start to finish. I know it is an old saying but it is true in this case....... they couldn't make them like this anymore.

"Genevieve" is a very unique film, with a rare quality that I have found in only a few films and books - there's something about it that is very appealing, and yet impossible to define. It is similar to the Ealing comedies, which isn't surprising, as Henry Cornelius directed "Passport to Pimlico" at the Ealing studios before leaving to become an independent filmmaker. I like it better than the Ealing films, though. It's so gentle and enjoyable - the ideal film to watch when home in bed with a cold!

I can't imagine anyone not liking this one. I smile whenever I think of it. It's a gem.

Enjoy!

Everytime I see this film, (I'm 57 now), I smile at the scene where one of the old crocks breaks down in the country on its way to Brighton.I cannot remember whether it was Ambrose' or Alan's vintage car, the point is the location, (in 1953), is near where I used to live, to be precise Batchworth Heath, Northwood , Middlesex on the Rickmansworth Road, opposite the Greene Man pub, White Hill and near Mount Vernon Hospital (where I have had two ops over the years).In the background you can see the arch leading to Moor Park golf club.This gentle English comedy has become a classic since that day and Kay Kendall, (who died of leukemia), is vivid and memorable not to say surprising especially when she lets loose on the trumpet!

I saw Genevieve when it first came out, at a theatre at the US Army Language School in Monterey, California. It is a lovely, gentle story, with lots of beautiful scenery and lots of fun. I wish today I could drive my Mazda Miata over the same route. The film is one of my very favorites, right up there next to African Queen (my #1) and Bridge on the River Kwai (#2).

The folks in UK and Europe are lucky. You can buy a tape or even a DVD of Genevieve. Amazon.com, how about it? Get some DVDs made for us here in the States!