The Happy Family (1952 film)
Encyclopedia
The Happy Family is a 1952 British
comedy film
directed by Muriel Box
and starring Stanley Holloway
, Kathleen Harrison
and Naunton Wayne
. The plot of the film centres on resistance by a family to the disruption caused by the construction of the Festival of Britain
. It is also known by the alternative title
Mr. Lord Says No. It was an adaptation of a play by Michael Clayton Hutton.
of the river Thames
close to the site of Festival Hall
which is noisily under construction. It is owned by the Lords family a father and wife with several children. Lillian Lord runs the shop while Henry is a British Railways train driver who has worked on the railways for over 30 years and who is just about to retire. He is looking forward to enjoying a quiet retirement at the family shop looking after his pet hare
Winston.
Their plans are disrupted by the arrival of Filch, a senior civil servant. He announces that he is overseeing work on the Festival of Britain
, due to begin in just six weeks. He explains that, due to an error by one of the planners, the Lord's shop and house will have to be demolished to allow a entrance route to be built assuring them that they will be financially compensated and will be moved to a new house in South Harrow
. He expects this to settle the matter. However, the Lords show reluctance to leave their house with Henry facetiously demanding £6 million if he is to move. Filch goes away hoping either to buy them off eventually or to forcibly evict them.
Filch has underestimated how attached they are to their property, which is a symbol of security and family to them after their years of hardship during the Great Depression
and the Second World War. In an attempt to halt the eviction the Lords appeal to a serious of political figures including their councillor
, mayor
and MP
. They are eventually sent to the official in charge of the work, who insists it must go ahead. They are served with eviction notices, and demolition is due to begin in a few days. Filch expects them to leave now, but they are unmoved by these threats, declaring that they would rather go to jail than South Harrow. When it becomes clear that their appeals from political channels are not working, the Lords turn to more active resistance at the urging of Cryil, their future son-in-law. They begin barricading their house and preparing to fight the government's attempts to turn them out. At the appointed hour, Filch demands they leave the house but they refuse. They are joined by Maurice Hennessey, an ambitious BBC
broadcaster hoping to use the case as a springboard to greater career success. He begins a running commentary on the events to the outside world.
Filch brings in a large number of police who attempt to storm the shop, but are driven off by missiles and flour bombs. After the assault descends into chaos, Filch launches a prolonged siege in the hope of starving them out. The Lords soon become a cause celebre
with support coming in from across the world, putting further pressure on the civil servants who are desperate to get work completed before the Festival begins.
In spite of their popularity the Lords situation begins to grow desperate as they run out of food. Just as they are about to give in Filch arrives and announces that, following the personal intervention of the Prime Minister, the architects have redrawn their plans and the road will now go either side of the shop thereby saving it from demolition. The film ends with the family enjoying a day out at the Festival of Britain.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Muriel Box
Muriel Box
Muriel Box was a prolific English screenwriter and director in what at the time was basically a male industry, and is generally considered to be one of the most successful females in the history of British film....
and starring Stanley Holloway
Stanley Holloway
Stanley Augustus Holloway, OBE was an English stage and film actor, comedian, singer, poet and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady...
, Kathleen Harrison
Kathleen Harrison
Kathleen Harrison was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working class family's misadventures. To modern viewers she is better remembered as Mrs...
and Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne , was a British character actor, born in Llanwonno, South Wales. He was educated at Clifton College....
. The plot of the film centres on resistance by a family to the disruption caused by the construction of the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
. It is also known by the alternative title
Alternative title
An alternative title is a film distribution device. Films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small alteration to the title, such as the addition of The, to wholesale changes...
Mr. Lord Says No. It was an adaptation of a play by Michael Clayton Hutton.
Plot
The House of Lords is a grocery shop that sits on the SouthbankSouth Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
of the river Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
close to the site of Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
which is noisily under construction. It is owned by the Lords family a father and wife with several children. Lillian Lord runs the shop while Henry is a British Railways train driver who has worked on the railways for over 30 years and who is just about to retire. He is looking forward to enjoying a quiet retirement at the family shop looking after his pet hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
Winston.
Their plans are disrupted by the arrival of Filch, a senior civil servant. He announces that he is overseeing work on the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
, due to begin in just six weeks. He explains that, due to an error by one of the planners, the Lord's shop and house will have to be demolished to allow a entrance route to be built assuring them that they will be financially compensated and will be moved to a new house in South Harrow
South Harrow
South Harrow has grown out of the village of Roxeth as a result of urbanization and easier access from Central London by rail. South of the old village centre , and beyond the newly developed shopping area, lies South Harrow tube station and the High Street .-History:Much of the local history,...
. He expects this to settle the matter. However, the Lords show reluctance to leave their house with Henry facetiously demanding £6 million if he is to move. Filch goes away hoping either to buy them off eventually or to forcibly evict them.
Filch has underestimated how attached they are to their property, which is a symbol of security and family to them after their years of hardship during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Second World War. In an attempt to halt the eviction the Lords appeal to a serious of political figures including their councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
, mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. They are eventually sent to the official in charge of the work, who insists it must go ahead. They are served with eviction notices, and demolition is due to begin in a few days. Filch expects them to leave now, but they are unmoved by these threats, declaring that they would rather go to jail than South Harrow. When it becomes clear that their appeals from political channels are not working, the Lords turn to more active resistance at the urging of Cryil, their future son-in-law. They begin barricading their house and preparing to fight the government's attempts to turn them out. At the appointed hour, Filch demands they leave the house but they refuse. They are joined by Maurice Hennessey, an ambitious BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcaster hoping to use the case as a springboard to greater career success. He begins a running commentary on the events to the outside world.
Filch brings in a large number of police who attempt to storm the shop, but are driven off by missiles and flour bombs. After the assault descends into chaos, Filch launches a prolonged siege in the hope of starving them out. The Lords soon become a cause celebre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
with support coming in from across the world, putting further pressure on the civil servants who are desperate to get work completed before the Festival begins.
In spite of their popularity the Lords situation begins to grow desperate as they run out of food. Just as they are about to give in Filch arrives and announces that, following the personal intervention of the Prime Minister, the architects have redrawn their plans and the road will now go either side of the shop thereby saving it from demolition. The film ends with the family enjoying a day out at the Festival of Britain.
Production
The film was released in the year following the real Festival of Britain which had taken place successfully in 1951. It was given a working title of South Bank Story which was later changed to The Happy Family.Cast
- Stanley HollowayStanley HollowayStanley Augustus Holloway, OBE was an English stage and film actor, comedian, singer, poet and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady...
- Henry Lord - Kathleen HarrisonKathleen HarrisonKathleen Harrison was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working class family's misadventures. To modern viewers she is better remembered as Mrs...
- Lillian Lord - Naunton WayneNaunton WayneNaunton Wayne , was a British character actor, born in Llanwonno, South Wales. He was educated at Clifton College....
- Mr. Filch - Dandy NicholsDandy Nichols-References:* Dandy Nichols at screenonline.* Dandy Nichols at The Museum of Broadcast Communications.-External links:...
- Ada - John Stratton - David
- Eileen MooreEileen MooreEileen Moore is a British television and film actress. Between 1954 and 1962 she was married to the actor George Cole.-Selected filmography:* Mr...
- Joan - Shirley MitchellShirley Mitchell-Early life:Mitchell was born in Toledo, Ohio and attended the University of Toledo and the University of Michigan.-Career:After moving to Chicago, she appeared in the network broadcast of The First Nighter and played small parts in various soap operas including The Story of Mary Marlin and The...
- Marina - Margaret BartonMargaret BartonMargaret Barton is a British actress. She is best known for her role in the 1945 David Lean film Brief Encounter in which she played Beryl, a girl who works in the station cafe.-Selected filmography:* Brief Encounter...
- Anne - George Cole - Cyril
- Tom GillTom Gill (actor)-Selected filmography:* Midshipman Easy * The High Command * Mister Drake's Duck * The Happy Family * Jumping for Joy * Behind the Headlines * Carry on Admiral...
- Maurice Hennessey - Miles MallesonMiles MallesonWilliam Miles Malleson was an English actor and dramatist, particularly known for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career he also appeared in cameo roles in several Hammer horror films, with a fairly large role in The Brides of Dracula as the...
- Mr. Thwaites - Geoffrey SumnerGeoffrey SumnerGeoffrey Sumner was a British actor. As well as appearing in a number of films, he was also a commentator for British Movietone News.-Selected filmography:* Too Many Husbands * - narrator* Helter Skelter...
- Sir Charles Spanniell - Laurence NaismithLaurence NaismithLaurence Naismith was an English actor.Naismith appeared in films such as Carrington VC , Richard III , Sink the Bismarck! , Jason and the Argonauts , and Diamonds Are Forever . He also starred in a children's ghost film The Amazing Mr Blunden...
- Councillor - Edward LexyEdward Lexy-Filmography:* Under Secret Orders * Mademoiselle Docteur * Farewell Again * Knight Without Armour * Action for Slander * Smash and Grab * The Green Cockatoo...
- Alderman - Cameron HallCameron Hall (actor)-Selected filmography:* The Lilac Domino * Adventure's End * Yes, Madam? * Neutral Port * Spellbound * I Thank You * My Brother Jonathan * Man on the Run * Madeleine...
- Mayor - Hal OsmondHal Osmond-Selected filmography:* Once Upon a Dream * Vote for Huggett * Diamond City * Your Witness * Last Holiday * The Happy Family * The Brave Don't Cry * To Dorothy a Son...
- BR Shop Steward - John SalewJohn Salew-Selected filmography:* The Silent Battle * Sailors Don't Care * Once a Crook * One of Our Aircraft Is Missing * The Day Will Dawn * Secret Mission * It Always Rains on Sunday...
- Mr. Granite - Ernest ButcherErnest Butcher-Selected filmography:* Stepping Toes * Me and My Pal * Black Eyes * Pack Up Your Troubles * Freedom Radio * Old Mother Riley in Business * Pimpernel' Smith * When We Are Married...
- Neighbour - Lyn Evans - Neighbour
- Michael WardMichael Ward (actor)Michael Ward was an English character actor who appeared in nearly eighty films between 1947 and 1978.-Early life:...
- BBC announcer - Richard WattisRichard WattisRichard Cameron Wattis , was an English character actor.He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut with Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage...
- M.P. - David KeirDavid Keir-Selected filmography:* The Howard Case * The Arsenal Stadium Mystery * The Ghost of St. Michael's * Salute John Citizen * Let the People Sing * Meet Sexton Blake...
- Process Server - Anthony OliverAnthony Oliver-Selected filmography:* Once a Jolly Swagman * The Happy Family * To Dorothy a Son * They Can't Hang Me * Eyewitness * The Entertainer * H.M.S. Defiant * Danger by My Side...
- Fireman - Campbell SingerCampbell SingerCampbell Singer was a British character actor who featured in a number of film and television roles during his long career....
- Policeman - Peter Martyn - Policeman
- Arthur HamblingArthur HamblingArthur Hambling was a British actor, he was best known for appearances in the films Henry V and The Lavender Hill Mob .-Selected filmography:* The Scoop * French Leave...
- Granger - Eileen WayEileen WayEileen Way was an English actress who appeared in many film and television roles in a career dating back to the 1930s....
- Mrs. Potter