The Man from Toronto is a 1933 British romantic comedy film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Jessie Matthews, Ian Hunter and Frederick Kerr. After an inheritance is left to them if they marry, an Englishwoman and a Canadian must meet for the first time to investigate the other - with comedic results.[2] Matthews was considered a rising film star at the time of the production, and she quickly became one of Gainsborough Pictures' leading names.
| The Man from Toronto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) British trade ad | |
| Directed by | Sinclair Hill |
| Screenplay by | W. P. Lipscomb |
| Based on | play The Man from Toronto by Douglas Murray[1] |
| Produced by | Michael Balcon |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Leslie Rowson |
| Edited by | R. E. Dearing |
| Music by | Louis Levy |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Ideal Films (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editLawyer Bunston (Frederick Kerr) informs Englishwoman Leslie Farrar (Jessie Matthews), his niece by marriage, that she will inherit a quarter of a million if she marries Canadian Fergus Wimbush. The trouble is they have never met. Leslie is furious, certain that the deceased made the will to get back at her for not marrying him by pressuring her to wed his nephew. When Leslie refuses to comply with the condition, Bunston lets Mrs. Hubbard's cottage for Leslie, as she must cut down on her expenses.
When the man from Toronto comes to England, Leslie poses as a parlour maid in order to better make his acquaintance, and the two fall in love anyway. When he finally discovers her real identity, he is furious and refuses to marry her, but she persuades him to change his mind.
Cast
edit- Jessie Matthews as Leslie Farrar
- Ian Hunter as Fergus Wimbush
- Frederick Kerr as Bunston (as Fred Kerr)
- Margaret Yarde as Mrs. Hubbard
- Percy Parsons as Hogbin
- Kenneth Kove as Vicar
- Ben Field as Jonathan
- Kathleen Harrison as Martha
- Bill Shine as Butcher's Delivery Boy (as Billy Shine)
- George Turner as Povey
- Herbert Lomas as Jake
- Laurence Hanray as Duncan
- Sybil Grove as Vicar's Wife
- George Zucco as Squire
- George Benson as Villager (uncredited)
- Cyril Smith as Gossiping Villager (uncredited)
Production
editProduction began in July 1932. The film was shot at Islington Studios[3] and on location at Amberley in Sussex.[4] It was based on a play by Douglas Murray.[1] The film's art direction was by Alex Vetchinsky.
Critical reception
editTV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "A little charmer," and concluded that, "Kerr, as the lawyer, does his best to pair the two off and carries the weight of the picture while doing so."[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Man from Toronto (1933)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
- ^ Wood p.75
- ^ Richards p.212
- ^ "The Man From Toronto". TVGuide.com.
Bibliography
edit- Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
- Richards, Jeffrey. The Age of the Dream Palace: Cinema and Society in 1930s Britain. I.B Tauris, 2010.
- Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927–1939. British Film Institute, 1986.