The Big Day (1960 film)

The Big Day
The Big Day
	Lobby card
Directed by	Peter Graham Scott
Written by	Bill MacIlwraith
Produced by	Arthur Alcott ; Julian Wintle
Starring	Donald Pleasence ; Andrée Melly ; Colin Gordon
Cinematography	Michael Reed
Edited by	Peter Taylor
Music by	Clifton Parker
Production; company	Independent Artists
Distributed by	Bryanston Films (UK)
Release date	July 1960 (UK);
Running time	55 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£22,300[1]

The Big Day is a 1960 black and white British drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Donald Pleasence, Harry H. Corbett, Andrée Melly and Colin Gordon.[2][3]

Plot

Company boss George Baker is seeking to appoint a new Director. Three employees are candidates: Accounts Manager Victor Partridge, Transport Manager Harry Jackson and Sales Manager Mr Selkirk.

Partridge is married and having an affair with his young secretary Nina. The affair is leaked to the boss to ruin Partridge's chances of promotion. Jackson has been filing fake driver records and this too is exposed. Selkirk seems the likely choice for the directorship but Baker considers him too ruthless.

In a surprise move, Partridge is appointed, who Baker considers reliably dull. But Partridge finds his new job a poisoned chalice. Baker has ordered him to sack Nina, and he realises he must work much harder for little more than his name on the company notepaper.

Cast

Donald Pleasence as Victor Partridge
Andrée Melly as Nina Wentworth
Colin Gordon as George Baker
Harry H. Corbett as Harry Jackson
William Franklyn as Mr. T. Selkirk
Susan Shaw as Phyllis Selkirk
Molly Urquhart as Mrs. Deeping
Betty Marsden as Mabel Jackson
Freda Bamford as Betty Partridge
Marianne Stone as Madge Delaney
Roddy McMillan as Bob
Timothy Bateson as Clerk
Anthony Bate as Driver
Sabina Franklyn as baby (uncredited, daughter of William Franklyn)
Derek Briggs as Mechanic

Reception

Kine Weekly wrote: "Business drama, containing a subtle feminine interest. The hand-picked cast and resourceful directror spin the tough, yet pliable, threads into holding and compact screen fare. Very good British "support". [...] Closely knit tale, popular team, skilful treatment, sharp dialogue, handy footage and quota ticket".[4]

The Irish Times described the film as "a prime example of how one can make a good film on a small budget. [...] It has no heroes and no happy ending but it holds the interest throughout and is well acted from start to finish. It can be recommended to anyone who is tired of the old trite situations and triter dialogue."[5]

Chibnall & McFarlane write in The British 'B' Film that the film "opens on a moment of erotic intensity unusual at any level of British film-making at the time".[2]^: 198

References

Petrie, Duncan James (2017). "Bryanston Films: An Experiment in Cooperative Independent Production and Distribution" (PDF). Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television: 7. ISSN 1465-3451.
Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
"The Big Day (1960)". BFI. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017.
"The Big Day". Kine Weekly. 518 (2574): 32. 14 July 1960.
Linehan, Fergus (24 July 1961). "Seeing Double". The Irish Times.

External links

The Big Day at IMDb
The Big Day at ReelStreets

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] Petrie, Duncan James (2017). "Bryanston Films: An Experiment in Cooperative Independent Production and Distribution" (PDF). Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television: 7. ISSN 1465-3451.

[Chibnall-2] Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.

[3] "The Big Day (1960)". BFI. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017.

[4] "The Big Day". Kine Weekly. 518 (2574): 32. 14 July 1960.

[5] Linehan, Fergus (24 July 1961). "Seeing Double". The Irish Times.