''Rookery Nook'' is a 1930 film

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

, directed by

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

, with a script by

Ben Travers Ben Travers (12 November 188618 December 1980) was an English writer. His output includes more than 20 plays, 30 screenplays, 5 novels, and 3 volumes of memoirs. He is best remembered for his long-running Aldwych farce, series of farces first ...

. It is a screen adaptation of the original 1926

Aldwych farce The Aldwych farces were a series of twelve stage farces presented at the Aldwych Theatre, London, nearly continuously from 1923 to 1933. All but three of them were written by Ben Travers. They incorporate and develop British low comedy styles, ...

of the same title. The film was known in the U.S. as ''One Embarrassing Night''. The film was very successful at the box office and led to a series of filmed farces.

Synopsis

Rhoda Marley seeks refuge overnight from a tyrannical stepfather in the house of Gerald Popkiss. He is alone there, as his wife is away; fearing a scandal he attempts to conceal Rhoda's presence from nosy domestic staff and his in-laws, with the help of his cousin Clive. Eventually all is explained, Gerald and his wife are reconciled, and Clive pairs off with Rhoda.

Cast

*Gerald Popkiss –

Ralph Lynn Ralph Clifford Lynn (8 March 1882 – 8 August 1962) was an English actor who had a 60-year career, and is best remembered for playing comedy parts in the Aldwych farces first on stage and then in film. Lynn became an actor at the age of 18 ...

* *Clive Popkiss –

* *Rhoda Marley –

Winifred Shotter Winifred Florence Shotter (5 November 1904 – 4 April 1996) was an English actress best known for her appearances in the Aldwych farces of the 1920s and early 1930s. Initially a singer and dancer in the ensembles of musical comedies, Shotte ...

* *Mrs Leverett –

Mary Brough Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

* *Harold Twine –

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 Gas ...

* *Gertrude Twine –

Ethel Coleridge Ethel Coleridge (14 January 1883 – 15 August 1976) was an English actress, best known for her roles in the original Aldwych farces in the 1920s and 1930s. Life and career Coleridge was born Ethel Coleridge Tucker in South Molton, Devonshire, ...

* *Putz – Griffith Humphreys* *Poppy Dickey – Doreen Bendix *Clara Popkiss –

Margot Grahame Margot Grahame (born Margaret Clark; 20 February 1911 – 1 January 1982) was an English actress most noted for starring in '' The Informer'' (1935) and ''The Three Musketeers'' (1935). She started acting in 1930 and made her last screen app ...

::''Source:

British Film Institute 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, ...

'' Cast members marked * were the creators of the roles in the original stage production.

Production

The film was one of a very small number of productions made by

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

's British and Dominions Film Corporation in association with His Master's Voice ("The Gramophone Company", later EMI). The film used the cast of the original stage production. HMV terminated its association with British & Dominions in 1931 out of concern that the company's participation in producing comedy films such as ''Rookery Nook'' and ''Splinters'' would demean its corporate image, of which it was very protective during the early days of the Great Depression.

Reception

''Rookery Nook'' was voted the best British movie of 1930. According to one report, it was the most popular British film in Britain over the previous five years.

Notes

External links

* {{Herbert Wilcox 1930 films 1930 comedy films Aldwych farce British comedy films British films based on plays Films directed by Tom Walls Films set in England British black-and-white films British and Dominions Studios films Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree Films shot at Rock Studios 1930s English-language films 1930s British films