''Flight from Folly'' is a 1945 British musical comedy film directed and produced by

Herbert Mason Samuel George Herbert Mason (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, theatre director, stage director, choreographer, Production manager (theatre), produc ...

, in his last directorial credit before moving onto production, for

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

. The cast includes Pat Kirkwood,

Hugh Sinclair Admiral Sir Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair, (18 August 1873 – 4 November 1939), known as Quex Sinclair, was a British intelligence officer. He was Director of British Naval Intelligence between 1919 and 1921, and he subsequently helped to set ...

and

Tamara Desni Tamara Desni (22 October 19137 February 2008) was a German-born British actress She appeared in films in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Desni was born in Berlin as Tamara Brodsky,

and with music from Edmundo Ros and the Rumba Band. An unemployed showgirl impersonates a nurse and undertakes the job of looking after a composer and playwright abandoned by his Russian wife. The story was written by

Lesley Storm Lesley Storm was the pen-name of Mabel Cowie (1898–1975), also known by her married name of Mabel Clark. She was a Scottish writer, who wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed. ''Black Chiffon'' and '' Roar Like a Dove'' were ma ...

, Katherine Strueby and

Edmund Goulding Edmund Goulding (20 March 1891 – 24 December 1959) was a British screenwriter and film director. As an actor early in his career he was one of the 'Ghosts' in the 1922 silent film ''Three Live Ghosts'' alongside Norman Kerry and Cyril Chadwick. ...

. The film was distributed by

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

and

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

. Kirkwood had appeared in minor roles in four films between 1938 and 1940 before focussing her career on the West End stage, where she had become a major star during the war years. ''Flight from Folly'' was designed to give Kirkwood her first starring screen role, with the hope of breaking her out as a big-name film attraction. ''Flight from Folly'' was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom on 21 May 1945. The film is currently missing from the

BFI National Archive The BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was founded as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955, its name became the N ...

, and is listed as one of the

British Film Institute's The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

75 Most Wanted lost films.

Plot

When his muse and girlfriend Nina (

Tamara Desni Tamara Desni (22 October 19137 February 2008) was a German-born British actress She appeared in films in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Desni was born in Berlin as Tamara Brodsky,

) takes off with a continental lothario, composer and playwright Clinton Clay (Sinclair) is devastated and turns to drink for solace. His doctor ( Sydney Howard) tries, with the help of Clinton's butler Neville (

A. E. Matthews Alfred Edward Matthews (22 November 186925 July 1960), known as A. E. Matthews, was an English actor who played numerous character roles on the stage and in film for eight decades. Already middle-aged when films began production, he enjoyed inc ...

), to get him to pull himself together but all attempts fail as Clinton's behaviour becomes ever more unbalanced and every nurse they engage is sent on her way by him in quick order. Showgirl Sue Brown (Kirkwood) is currently out of work, hears of Clinton's problems and poses as a nurse. She is taken on to be his keeper, and manages to placate him to the extent that he does not dismiss her. When Clinton decides to travel to Majorca in pursuit of Nina, Sue is included in the party along with Neville and Clinton's sculptor sister Millicent (

Jean Gillie A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

). Harriet (Marian Spencer), a devious widow with designs on Clinton, follows them to Majorca. Once on the island, Clinton tracks Nina down and asks her to star in a tryout of a new musical he has written. She agrees, and Clinton makes arrangements to stage the musical there. On opening night however, the jealous Harriet locks Nina in her dressing room and disappears with the key. Sue offers to take Nina's place on stage, and proves to be a huge success with the audience. Clinton realises that he has fallen in love with her and is instantly cured of his malaise, happy now to let Nina go with her playboy lover.

Cast

* Pat Kirkwood as Sue Brown *

as Clinton Gray *

Tamara Desni Tamara Desni (22 October 19137 February 2008) was a German-born British actress She appeared in films in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Desni was born in Berlin as Tamara Brodsky,

as Nina * Sydney Howard as Dr. Wylie *

as Millicent *

as Neville *

Charles Goldner Charles Goldner was an Austrian-born actor who appeared in a number of British films during the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Vienna, Austria, on 7 December 1900, he made his screen debut in the 1940 film '' Room for Two'' and went on to appear in '' ...

as Ramon * Marian Spencer as Harriet *

Leslie Bradley Leslie Ernest Bradley (1 September 1907 – 20 July 1974) was an English actor. He died in Desert Hot Springs, California. Filmography * '' The Way of Youth'' (1934) as Lieut. Burton (film debut) * ''Play Up the Band'' (1935) as Jack Heck ...

as Bomber *

Edmundo Ros Edmundo Ros OBE, FRAM (7 December 1910 – 21 October 2011), born Edmund William Ross, was a Trinidadian-Venezuelan musician, vocalist, arranger and bandleader who made his career in Britain. He directed a highly popular Latin American orchestra ...

as Himself

Production

It was the last film made at

Warner's The Warnaco Group, Inc. was an American textile/clothing corporation which designed, sourced, marketed, licensed, and distributed a wide range of underwear, sportswear, and swimwear worldwide. Its products were sold under several brand names ...

Teddington Studios Teddington Studios was a large British television studio in Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky1 and others. The complex also provide ...

before it was bombed in 1944.

Reception and later history

''Flight from Folly'' received a generally muted critical reception, with a degree of agreement that the cast, in particular Kirkwood herself, were better than the material they had to work with. ''

The Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

'' described the film as "a tremulous but definite step towards a school of British Musicians." ''

The Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' called the film "unworthy of irkwood'slimited but genuine talent" which "promises better work in better films". The ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' however found the film a "neatly made and tuneful comedy" with praise for Kirkwood's "vivacious personality and talent". The film's set designs, costuming and make-up provoked criticism from a number of reviewers. There is no indication of what happened to the film after its original cinema run in 1945. The film does not appear ever to have been shown on television, and attempts to track down a print have so far proved fruitless. Also, the film is not held in the British Film Institute National Archive, is classed as "missing, believed lost", and is included on the BFI's " 75 Most Wanted" list of missing British feature films.

References

Bibliography

* Quinlan, David. (1984). ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928-1959''. BT Batsford Ltd * Wright, Adrian. (2020). ''Cheer Up! British Musical Films, 1929-1945''.

Boydell Press Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...

External links

*
''Flight from Folly''
at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

''Flight from Folly''
at

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flight from Folly 1945 musical comedy films 1945 films British musical comedy films British black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Herbert Mason Films produced by Herbert Mason Films scored by Benjamin Frankel Lost British films 1940s lost films Lost musical comedy films Films scored by Eric Spear 1940s British films

Plot

Cast

Production

Reception and later history

See also

References

Bibliography

External links