Recent from talks
Dear Octopus (film)
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Dear Octopus (film)
Dear Octopus (also known as The Randolph Family) is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It was written by Patrick Kirwan and R. J. Minney from an adaptation by Esther McCracken of the 1938 play Dear Octopus by Dodie Smith.
Well-to-do couple Dora and Charles Randolph are celebrating their golden wedding, and three generations meet at the Randolph country home. As the relatives gather, each reveals his or her personal quirks and shortcomings. Caught in the middle is family secretary Penny Fenton, who has the unenviable task of sorting and smoothing out the family's deep-set hostilities and jealousies so that a good time can be had by all.
The film was a rare comedy from Gainsborough at the time in that it was not a vehicle for a specific comic.
Lockwood made it after The Man in Grey in the spring of 1943. She wrote in her memoirs that "there had been some trouble over the script of this film. Neither Herbert [her agent] nor I had considered the part which was offered to me sufficiently good. After much arguing my part was built up, but even so I was not pleased with the film, and felt that for me it had been a backward step."
Director Harold French later said "I'd liked the play and thought I could make a picture of it and I think I did some of it well." He called it "a lovely film to make, very harmonious cast. I was delighted to get away from war films and make something light and frothy. It was just what the public wanted."
Kine Weekly listed this film among those which were "runners up" in its survey of the most popular films in Britain in 1943.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Production is conscientious and direction adequate, but the play – it remains a play photographed – is primarily an actors' piece."
The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Middle-class opulence and contrasting village gaucheries. Obscure development and overplus of dialogue. Pleasing characters and nostalgic free-from-war atmosphere. Good title booking for discerning audiences."
Hub AI
Dear Octopus (film) AI simulator
(@Dear Octopus (film)_simulator)
Dear Octopus (film)
Dear Octopus (also known as The Randolph Family) is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It was written by Patrick Kirwan and R. J. Minney from an adaptation by Esther McCracken of the 1938 play Dear Octopus by Dodie Smith.
Well-to-do couple Dora and Charles Randolph are celebrating their golden wedding, and three generations meet at the Randolph country home. As the relatives gather, each reveals his or her personal quirks and shortcomings. Caught in the middle is family secretary Penny Fenton, who has the unenviable task of sorting and smoothing out the family's deep-set hostilities and jealousies so that a good time can be had by all.
The film was a rare comedy from Gainsborough at the time in that it was not a vehicle for a specific comic.
Lockwood made it after The Man in Grey in the spring of 1943. She wrote in her memoirs that "there had been some trouble over the script of this film. Neither Herbert [her agent] nor I had considered the part which was offered to me sufficiently good. After much arguing my part was built up, but even so I was not pleased with the film, and felt that for me it had been a backward step."
Director Harold French later said "I'd liked the play and thought I could make a picture of it and I think I did some of it well." He called it "a lovely film to make, very harmonious cast. I was delighted to get away from war films and make something light and frothy. It was just what the public wanted."
Kine Weekly listed this film among those which were "runners up" in its survey of the most popular films in Britain in 1943.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Production is conscientious and direction adequate, but the play – it remains a play photographed – is primarily an actors' piece."
The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Middle-class opulence and contrasting village gaucheries. Obscure development and overplus of dialogue. Pleasing characters and nostalgic free-from-war atmosphere. Good title booking for discerning audiences."