''My Wife's Family'' is a 1956

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring

Ronald Shiner Ronald Alfred Shiner (8 June 1903 – 29 June 1966) was a British stand-up comedian and comedy actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall. Career Early life and career When he was seventeen, Shiner joined the Royal Nor ...

as Doc Knott, Ted Ray,

Greta Gynt Greta Gynt (born Margrethe Woxholt; 15 November 1916 – 2 April 2000) was a Norwegian dancer and actress. She is remembered for her starring roles in the British classic films '' The Dark Eyes of London'', ''Mr. Emmanuel'', ''Take My Life'', '' ...

Diane Hart Diane Lavinia Hart (20 July 1926 – 7 February 2002) was an English actress in both films and the theatre in the West End Theatre of London, political campaigner, and inventor. Born in 1926, Hart was educated at various convents and then at ...

and

Robertson Hare John Robertson Hare, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, ''All Ga ...

. It was a remake of the 1941 British film '' My Wife's Family'', and is the third British film of the stage farce of the same name by actor

Fred Duprez Fred Duprez (September 6, 1884 – October 27, 1938) was an American actor, comedian and singer who performed in vaudeville, phonograph record and film. He made phonograph recordings in the US and the UK in the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s. Most of t ...

Plot

Jack Gay, a newlywed with a dominating mother-in-law attempts to surprise his wife Stella with a baby grand piano, but when she overhears him discussing it, she mistakes it for an illegitimate child, particularly with the arrival of his ex-girlfriend, the blonde and glamorous Gloria Marsh.

Cast

as Doc Knott * Ted Ray as Jack Gay *

as Stella Gay *

Fabia Drake Fabia Drake OBE (born Ethel McGlinchy; 20 January 1904 – 28 February 1990) was a British actress whose professional career spanned almost 73 years during the 20th century. Drake was born in Herne Bay, Kent. Her first professional role in ...

as Arabella *

as Gloria Marsh *

as Noah *

Zena Marshall Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, who was born in Kenya. Early years Marshall was of English, Irish and (on her mother's side) French descent. Though born in Kenya, after her ...

as Hilda *Jessica Cairns as Irma * Benny Lee as Arnold *Jimmy Mageean as Dobson *

Gilbert Harding Gilbert Charles Harding (5 June 1907 – 16 November 1960) was a British journalist and radio and television personality. His many careers included schoolmaster, journalist, policeman, disc jockey, actor, interviewer and television presenter. He ...

as Himself

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'' wrote, "The third screen version of Fred Duprez's play proves once and for all there's no hope of reviving the dead...Overplayed without shame, but that doesn't help the ancient jokes any." '' Sky Movies'' noted a "broad comedy, with Ronald Shiner and Ted Ray extracting the maximum number of laughs out of the mother-in-law-coming-to-stay situation. Fabia Drake gives a sharply-observed portrait of the old battleaxe."

References

1956 films 1956 comedy films British comedy films Films shot at Associated British Studios Films with screenplays by Talbot Rothwell British films based on plays Remakes of British films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Gilbert Gunn 1950s British films English-language comedy films {{1950s-UK-comedy-film-stub