The Bespoke Overcoat is a British short film directed by Jack Clayton

Jack Clayton

Jack Clayton was a British film director who specialised in bringing literary works to the screen.-Career:A native of East Sussex, Clayton started his career as a child actor on the 1929 film Dark Red Roses...

, based on a 1953 play of the same name by Wolf Mankowitz

Wolf Mankowitz

Cyril Wolf Mankowitz was an English writer, playwright and screenwriter of Russian Jewish descent.-Early life:...

. The story is an adaptation of Gogol's short story The Overcoat

The Overcoat

"The Overcoat" is the title of a short story by Ukrainian-born Russian author Nikolai Gogol, published in 1842. The story and its author have had great influence on Russian literature, thus spawning Fyodor Dostoyevsky's famous quote: "We all come out from Gogol's 'Overcoat'." The story has been...

with the action relocated from Russia to the East End of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. In this version the protagonists are poor Jews working in the clothing trade. It won an Academy Award at the 29th Academy Awards

29th Academy Awards

During the 29th Academy Awards, the regular competitive category of Best Foreign Language Film was introduced, instead of only being recognized as a Special Achievement Award or as a Best Picture nominee . The first winner in this new category was Federico Fellini's La strada with Anthony Quinn and...

 in 1957 for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel)

Academy Award for Live Action Short Film

This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...

.

Cast

• Alfie Bass
  Alfie Bass
  Alfred Bass was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London, the youngest in a Jewish family with ten children; their parents had fled persecution in Russia...
  
   - Fender (Ghost)
• David Kossoff
  David Kossoff
  David Kossoff was a British actor. Following the death of his son Paul, a rock musician, he became an anti-drug campaigner...
  
   - Morrie
• Alan Tilvern
  Alan Tilvern
  Alan Tilvern was a British film and television actor. He is best known for his role as R.K. Maroon in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.-Television appearances:* Doctor Who serial, Planet of Giants...
  
   - Ranting
• Alf Dean - Gravedigger (uncredited)

External links