''Carnival'' is a 1946 British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

about a ballet dancer of the

Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

, directed by Stanley Haynes and starring

Sally Gray Constance Vera Browne, Baroness Oranmore and Browne (''née'' Stevens; 14 February 1915 – 24 September 2006), commonly known as Sally Gray, was an English film actress of the 1930s and 1940s. Her obituary in ''The Irish Times'' described he ...

Michael Wilding Michael Charles Gauntlet Wilding (23 July 1912 – 8 July 1979) was an English stage, television, and film actor. He is best known for a series of films he made with Anna Neagle; he also made two films with Alfred Hitchcock, '' Under Capric ...

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...

and

Jean Kent Jean Kent (born Joan Mildred Field; 29 June 1921 − 30 November 2013) was an English film and television actress. Biography Born Joan Mildred Field (sometimes incorrectly cited as Summerfield) in Brixton, London in 1921, the only child of va ...

. It is based on the 1912 novel of the same name by

Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish independence, Scottish nation ...

, which had previous been made into a 1932 film version ''

Dance Pretty Lady ''Dance Pretty Lady'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Ann Casson, Carl Harbord, Michael Hogan, Moore Marriott and Flora Robson. It was based on the 1912 novel '' Carnival'' by Compton Mackenzie. The novel ...

'' by

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

. It was shot at

Denham Studios Denham Film Studios was a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952, founded by Alexander Korda. Notable films made at Denham include ''Brief Encounter'' and David Lean's '' Great Expectations''. From the 1950s to the 1970s t ...

with sets designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Carmen Dillon Carmen Dillon (25 October 190812 April 2000) was an English film art director and production designer who won an Oscar for the Olivier version of ''Hamlet'' (1948). Life Dillon was born in Hendon to Irish-born Joseph Thomas Dillon and his wife ...

. The title of the film is not explained as there is no carnival in the story.

Plot

The story begins at the birth of Jenny. Her father is out at the theatre, watching a clown show - the clown is also his lodger. Three elderly women stand by the bed and lecture Mrs Raeburn on the follies of her daughter joining the stage. We jump to Jenny on stage, as a ballerina, her father proudly and loudly pointing her out from the balcony, not that the audience wish to hear. Jenny takes the name of Pearl. She is attractive and easily draws the attention of men. At an art gallery one day, she tries to demonstrate how a sculpture of a dancer is not physically possible and falls over in the process. She is caught by the artist Maurice Avery and they begin a love affair. He asks her to live with him - but not to marry. At home she still lives with her hard-working mother and fun-loving (and often drunk) father. A new lodger moves into the house, Mr Trewhella. He is told of the ballet and goes to see Jenny on stage. Maurice is already disturbing her career and making her miss rehearsals. Now he plans to take her to Europe on an artistic tour - but he has not told her. Trewhella spies on Jenny and Maurice as they chat after the show. At home he tells Jenny he disapproves of the male audience leering at her. He is a country person and does not like town ways. On her birthday Maurice takes Jenny dancing to the

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

Ball and gives her a bracelet. He tells her he is going to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and asks her to join him. She stays out all night and in the morning changes her mind and tells her parents that she is leaving. But when she goes to Maurice's studio he has already gone. Their mutual friend Fuzz explains and asks her to marry him instead and she runs off. Her colleagues have little sympathy for her loss. When her mother dies unexpectedly Trewhella asks to marry her and look after both Jenny and Maisie in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. Reluctantly she accepts and is then known as Mistress Trewhella. Maurice rematerialises they have a tryst. She asks him to take her to Spain and faints. He carries her off.

Cast

as Jenny Pearl *

as Maurice Avery *

as Charlie Raeburn, Jenny's dad *

Bernard Miles Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles, CBE (27 September 190714 June 1991) was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1959, the first new theatre that opened in the City of London since the 17th ce ...

as Trewhella *

as Irene Dale *

Catherine Lacey Catherine Lacey (6 May 1904 – 23 September 1979) was an English actress of stage and screen. Stage Lacey made her stage debut, performing with Mrs Patrick Campbell, in ''The Thirteenth Chair'' at the West Pier Brighton on 13 April 1925. Her ...

as Florrie Raeburn, Jenny's mum *

Nancy Price Nancy Price, CBE (3 February 1880 – 31 March 1970), was an English actress on stage and screen, author and theatre director. Her acting career began in a repertory theatre company before progressing to the London stage, silent films, talkies and ...

as Trewhella's mother *

Hazel Court Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957) and ...

as Maisie (May) Raeburn, Jenny's sister * Michael Clarke as Frank (Fuzz) Castleton *

Brenda Bruce Brenda Bruce OBE (7 July 1919Some sources cite 17 July 1919. – 19 February 1996) was an English actress. She was focused on the theatre, radio, film and television. Career Bruce was born in Prestwich, Lancashire in 1919, and started he ...

as Maudie Chapman * Anthony Holles as Corentin *

Ronald Ward Ronald Ward (5 April 1901 – 31 March 1978) was a British actor who, alongside his stage work, appeared in more than twenty British films between 1931 and 1956. He was born in Eastbourne in 1901 as Ronald William Ward, and made his screen ...

as Jack Danby *

Mackenzie Ward Mackenzie Ward (20 February 1903 – January 1976) was a British stage and film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or ...

as Arthur Danby *

Dennis Arundell Dennis Drew Arundell OBE (22 July 1898 in Finchley, London – 10 December 1988 in Camden, London

as Studholme *

Phyllis Monkman Phyllis Monkman (8 January 1892 – 2 December 1976) was a British stage and film actress.Moore p.56 She was married to the entertainer Laddie Cliff. In the early years of her career, she was often partnered on stage by Jack Buchanan and appeare ...

as Barmaid * Amy Feness as Aunt Fanny *

Marie Ault Marie Ault (2 September 1870 – 9 May 1951) was a British character actress of stage and film. Biography Born as Mary Cragg, in Wigan, Lancashire, (now Greater Manchester. England. Ault was a star in many British films of the silent era but is ...

as Mrs. Dale *

Virginia Keiley Virginia Keiley (1918–1990) was a British actress. She began her career at Gainsborough Pictures appearing in a number of glamorous but small, sometimes uncredited roles in the studio's comedies and melodramas. After the Second World War she g ...

as Elsie Crawford *

Kathleen Harrison Kathleen Harrison (23 February 1892 – 7 December 1995) was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett (opposite Jack Warner and Petula Clark) in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working ...

as the Trewhella's maid (uncredited)

Reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called it "a disjointed, dispirited picture. None of the principal characters, with the possible exception of roles done by Stanley Holloway and Michael Clarke appears credible."

References

External links

*
''Carnival''
at BFI Film & TV Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carnival 1946 films British black-and-white films Films based on British novels Compositions by Charles Williams Films set in London Films set in the 1900s British historical drama films 1940s historical drama films Two Cities Films films Films shot at Denham Film Studios 1946 drama films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films