''Quiet Weekend'' is a 1946 British

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

Harold French Harold French (23 April 1897 – 19 October 1997) was an English film director, screenwriter and actor. Biography After training at the Italia Conti School, he made his acting debut age 12, in a production of ''The Winter's Tale''. As an ...

and starring

Derek Farr Derrick Capel Farr (7 February 191221 March 1986) was an English actor who appeared regularly in British films and television from 1938 until his death in 1986. His more famous roles include Group Captain John Whitworth in '' The Dam Busters' ...

, Frank Cellier,

Marjorie Fielding Doris Marjorie Fielding (known as Marjorie) (17 February 1892, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire – 28 December 1956, in London) was a British stage and film actress. Marjorie Fielding was the second daughter of John & Ellen Fielding (née Miles). ...

, George Thorpe and Barbara White. A family try to relax during a weekend holiday in the country.QUIET WEEK END (1946)
It was a sequel to the 1941 film ''

Quiet Wedding ''Quiet Wedding'' is a 1941 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play ''Qui ...

'', with several of the actors reprising their roles. It was based on the long running 1941 West End play ''

Quiet Weekend ''Quiet Weekend'' is a 1946 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Derek Farr, Frank Cellier, Marjorie Fielding, George Thorpe and Barbara White. A family try to relax during a weekend holiday in the country.

'' and shot at

Welwyn Studios Welwyn Studios was a British film studio located at Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. The facility operated between 1928 and 1950. The studios were first constructed by British Instructional Films, and converted to make s ...

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

and

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

Plot

The Royds drive down to their spacious cottage in the country. Denys informs his mother Mildred, the matriarch of the family, that he has invited Rowena Hyde. She shows up in a chauffeur-driven car. Also making an appearance is patriarch Arthur Royd's friend Adrian Barrasford. The pair go fishing. When Adrian reveals he is very fond of Mary Jarrow, Arthur invites him to supper, as Mary will be there. Miranda Bute, nearly eighteen years old, is another surprise guest. Mildred becomes a bit concerned, as she knows that Miranda, her niece, is attached to Denys (though he himself is oblivious), making for an awkward situation. When Miranda discovers that Denys has turned down an attractive job offer because there was "just no money in it", she is sure there is "something behind this". Then she encounters Rowena, who informs her that Denys has accepted a well-paying job in Hollywood as a private secretary, rather than pursuing a career as a

scenic design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained ...

er. She eventually quarrels with Denys over his decision. Adrian takes Arthur and Mildred's advice to make his intentions known, only to have Mary misconstrue his proposal as an offer to sell her his house. He, on the other hand, thinks she has turned down his offer of marriage. Denys and Rowena go to a party of her upper-class friends. He becomes annoyed when she chooses Paul Perry (Denys's future employer) instead of him as her partner in a game. Meanwhile, Arthur, Adrian and Sam sneak off to do some

poaching Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...

; Miranda joins them, and after much searching, they catch a large salmon. However, they are spotted and chased by the authorities. Miranda flags down a passing car, which turns out to be driven by Denys. He lies to a policeman to keep her out of trouble and takes her home, where she changes down to her smalls and keeps herself warm in Denys' dressing gown. Arthur and Adrian eventually show up, but Sam is caught and taken into custody. Arthur has to get Adrian, in his official capacity as the local

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, to allow him to bail out their fellow poacher. The next morning, Miranda is delighted to learn that Denys has changed his mind and declined the Hollywood job. It soon becomes apparent that he has also drastically changed his view of Miranda as well. Adrian, emboldened by his experience the night before, proposes to and is accepted by Mary. The Royds depart.

Cast

as Denys Royd * Frank Cellier as Adrian Barrasford *

as Mildred Royd * George Thorpe as Arthur Royd * Barbara White as Miranda Bute *

Helen Shingler Helen Shingler (29 August 1919 – 8 October 2019) was a British film and television actress. Biography Shingler was born on 29 August 1919. She married producer Seafield Head, and was the mother of actor and singer Murray Head and actor Antho ...

as Rowena Hyde *

Edward Rigby Edward Coke MC (5 February 1879 – 5 April 1951), known professionally as Edward Rigby, was a British character actor. Early life Rigby was born at Ashford, Kent, England, the second son of Dr William Harriott Coke and his wife, Mary Elizab ...

as Sam Pecker *

Josephine Wilson Josephine Wilson, Baroness Miles (5 July 1904 – 7 November 1990) was a British stage and film actress. She was the wife of Bernard Miles andHare p.195 creator of the Molecule Club, which staged scientific shows for children at the Mermaid Theat ...

as Mary Jarrow * Gwynne Whitby as Marcia Brent *

Ballard Berkeley Ballard Blascheck (6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988), known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for playing Major Gowen in the British television sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''. Life an ...

as Jim Brent *

Judith Furse Judith Furse (4 March 1912 – 29 August 1974) was an English actress. Career A member of the Furse family, her father was Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse and mother Jean Adelaide Furse. Her brother, Roger, became a stage designer and ...

as Ella Spender * Pat Field as Sally Spender * Hélène Burls as Bella * George Merritt as Police Sergeant * Christopher Steele as Vicar * Mary Martlew as Elena * Conway Palmer as Paul Perry * Richard George as Lorry Driver *

Brian Weske Brian Weske (23 December 1932 – 15 October 2001) was a British film and television actor. He was born in Stockwell, London, England and died in London, England aged 68. He married Italian actress and Italian translator speech artist for BBC Reco ...

as Johnnie

Critical reception

The ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' wrote, "as anyone familiar with

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 ...

's classic comedy of manners ''Quiet Wedding'' will know, the title of this disappointing sequel is ironic in the extreme. Although also based on an

Esther McCracken Esther McCracken (née Armstrong, 1902–1971) was a British actress and playwright. Biography She was born Esther Helen Armstrong in Newcastle upon Tyne on 25 June 1902 and was educated at the Central Newcastle High School, where she won the c ...

play, the screenplay lacks the crisp chaos of the original co-written by

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

. Consequently, the romantic tangles of

and the poaching misadventures of George Thorpe and magistrate Frank Cellier fail to deliver the laughs deserving of such whole-hearted playing"; while ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' wrote, "another successful adaptation of a popular Esther McCracken play...Funny and well performed".

References

External links

* {{Harold French 1946 films 1946 romantic comedy films British black-and-white films British romantic comedy films British films based on plays Films directed by Harold French British sequel films Films set in England 1940s English-language films Films shot at Welwyn Studios 1940s British films