Yes, Madam? is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Bobby Howes, Diana Churchill and Wylie Watson.[2]
| Yes, Madam? | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Norman Lee |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Walter C. Mycroft |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey |
| Edited by | Walter Stokvis |
| Music by | Harry Acres |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Associated British Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £39,784[1] |
Background
editThe film was adapted from a play by K.R.G. Browne, itself based on a novel by the same author.[3] The film was shot at Elstree Studios,[4] with sets designed by the art director Cedric Dawe.
Plot
editTwo cousins, Billy Quinton and Sally Gaunt, have to spend a month in service to qualify for an inheritance from an eccentric uncle. They find themselves in the same household, as valet/chauffeur and as maid, where they are tracked down by their arch-enemy Tony Tolliver, who will get the money should either of the cousins fail in their task by getting the sack. Tony therefore tries various schemes to get them sacked – succeeding, but still failing to get the legacy.[3]
Cast
edit- Bobby Howes as Bill Quinton
- Diana Churchill as Sally Gault
- Wylie Watson as Albert Peabody, a retired button manufacturer
- Bertha Belmore as Emily Peabody, his unmarried sister
- Vera Pearce as Pansy Beresford, an actress
- Billy Milton as Tony Tolliver
- Fred Emney as Sir Charles Drake-Drake
- Cameron Hall as Catlett, former burglar, now manservant to Tolliver
- Geoffrey Sumner as Scoffin
- Arthur Hambling as a police constable
Music and dance sequences
editSet pieces taken from the stage production included a scene with a 'sloshed Emney',[5] Czecho-Slovakian Love - "Here beneath the white lights gleaming above" (Pansy and Bill) and 'Yes, Madam' - "I'm in love, I confess" (Bill and Sally).[6]
References
edit- ^ Chapman, Llewella. "'The highest salary ever paid to a human being': Creating a Database of Film Costs from the Bank of England". Journal of British cinema and television, 2022-10. Vol. 19, no. 4. Edinburgh University Press. p. 470-494 at 480.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | YES, MADAM? (1938)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ a b Excerpt from Kine Weekly, 10 November 1938, quoted in 'The Museum of London and The National Film Archive present Made in London' programme notes, 20th season, September to December 1990.
- ^ Wood p.99
- ^ Excerpt from Film-making in 1930s Britain by Rachael Low, quoted in 'The Museum of London and The National Film Archive present Made in London' programme notes, 20th season, September to December 1990.
- ^ Script of 'Yes, Madam' accompanying Network on Air DVD release 'British Musicals of the 1930s: Volume 4' 7954378 (2015).
Bibliography
edit- Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.
External links
edit- Yes, Madam? at IMDb
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