''The Holly and the Ivy'' is a 1952 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 ...

directed by

George More O'Ferrall Edward George More O'Ferrall (4 July 1907 – 18 March 1982) was a pioneering British film and television producer and director, as well as an actor. Biography More O'Ferrall was born in Bristol, England, to an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family. ...

and starring Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson, and

Margaret Leighton Margaret Leighton, CBE (26 February 1922 – 13 January 1976) was an English actress, active on stage and television, and in film. Her film appearances included (her first credited debut feature) in Anatole de Grunwald's ''The Winslow Boy'' ( ...

with

Denholm Elliott Denholm Mitchell Elliott, (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor, with more than 125 film and television credits. His well-known roles include the abortionist in '' Alfie'' (1966), Marcus Brody in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (19 ...

John Gregson Harold Thomas Gregson (15 March 1919 – 8 January 1975), known professionally as John Gregson, was an English actor of stage, television and film, with 40 credited film roles. He was best known for his crime drama and comedy roles. He was cr ...

and

Hugh Williams Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (6 March 1904 – 7 December 1969) was a British actor and dramatist of Welsh descent. Early life and career Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (nicknamed "Tam") was born at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex to Hugh Dafydd Anth ...

also in the cast. It was adapted from the 1950 play of the same name by

Wynyard Browne Wynyard Barry Browne (6 October 1911 – 19 February 1964) was an English dramatist, playwright and screenwriter Biography He was born in London in 1911, and educated at Marlborough and Christ's College, Cambridge. His plays include '' T ...

. Produced by Anatole de Grunwald and co-scripted by Browne and de Grunwald it was distributed by British Lion Films. It is about an Irish clergyman whose neglect of his grown offspring, in his zeal to tend to his parishioners, comes to the surface at a Christmas family gathering. The film was shot at

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused ...

outside

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

with sets designed by the art director

Vincent Korda Vincent Korda (22 June 1897 – 4 January 1979) was a Hungarian-born art director, later settling in Britain. Born in Túrkeve in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was the younger brother of Alexander and Zoltan Korda. He was n ...

. Actresses

Margaret Halstan Margaret Halstan (25 December 1879 – 8 January 1967) was a British stage, radio, television and film actress. In theatre and film roles she often played upper-class ladies of the gentry, with a career spanning over six decades. She was particula ...

and

Maureen Delany Maureen Barry O'Delany (1 December 1888 – 27 March 1961), professionally known as Maureen Delany and also billed as Maureen Delaney, was an Irish stage actress and screen actress of British films Life and career She was born in Kilkenn ...

reprised their roles from the stage. It was released in the United States in 1954 by the independent Pacemaker Pictures.

Plot

It is traditional for the widespread Gregory family to return home for Christmas at the parsonage in the remote village of Wyndenham in rural

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. The film opens with introductions of each of member of the family save for younger, fashionista daughter Margaret (

), who is for much of the first half an unseen character. The plot centres on the situation of Jenny ( Celia Johnson), who is housekeeper for her aged parent Martin ( Ralph Richardson). He is the village parson and apparently cares much more about his parishioners than his family. Jenny wishes to marry engineer David (

), who is bound for South America for five years, but she cannot leave her father unless her sister or one of her aunts agrees to look after Martin. Tensions arise after the family assembles. The catalyst is Martin's son Michael (

), who has developed strong resentment towards religion and his father's plans to send him to university after he has completed his

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. Margaret arrives late and makes clear to Jenny that she has no intention of staying or of giving up her life as a magazine writer in London. It soon transpires that Margaret is becoming alcoholic and, in separate discussions with Jenny and Michael, she reveals that she has been an unmarried mother but that her four-year-old son has recently died of meningitis, driving her into her present reliance on alcohol. The underlying problem facing all three siblings is that they cannot approach their father about anything unconventional, as they believe him to be uptightly religious and more likely to disapprove of their respective situations than to show kindness and understanding. Regardless of their father's perceived feelings, Margaret and Michael decide they do not want to be with him and their two aunts on Christmas Eve and go out, ostensibly to the cinema. In fact, Margaret wants to go to the pub and they both end up drunk which results in a scene when they return to the house. On Christmas morning, Margaret announces that she is leaving immediately and Michael argues with Martin to the point of questioning the existence of God. Margaret has also become an atheist. It emerges that Martin is not a tyrannical parent or judgmentally religious after all. He is very understanding of their problems because he has helped people with similar issues throughout his career and even wrestled with similar ones on the way to discovering his religious vocation. In individual heart-to-hearts with Michael and Margaret just before the Christmas morning service, he also expresses his regret and disappointment that they consider him unapproachable. All is thus resolved, with Michael relenting over university and Margaret agreeing to turn her back on the London life she secretly hates to live with Martin, which will allow Jenny to marry David and go to South America. The entire family is in harmony at church as the morning service begins.

Cast

* Ralph Richardson as Reverend Martin Gregory * Celia Johnson as Jenny Gregory *

as Margaret Gregory *

as Gunner Michael Gregory *

as David Paterson *

as Lt. Col. Richard Wyndham *

as Aunt Lydia *

as Aunt Bridget *

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the first incarnation of the Doctor in '' Doctor Who'' from 1963 to 1966. In film, Hartnell notably appeared in '' Bri ...

as Company Sergeant Major *

Robert Flemyng Benjamin Arthur Flemyng (3 January 1912 – 22 May 1995), known professionally as Robert Flemyng, was a British actor. The son of a doctor, and originally intended for a medical career, Flemyng learned his stagecraft in provincial repertory the ...

as Major *

Roland Culver Roland Joseph Culver, (31 August 1900 – 1 March 1984) was an English stage, film, and television actor. Life and career After Highgate School, he joined the Royal Air Force and served as a pilot from 1918 to 1919. After considering other c ...

as Lord B. *

Dandy Nichols Dandy Nichols (born Daisy Sander; 21 May 1907 – 6 February 1986) was an English actress best known for her role as Else Garnett, the long-suffering wife of the character Alf Garnett who was a parody of a working class Tory, in the BBC s ...

as Neighbour

Reception

According to the November 2009 ''Moviemail Catalogue'', "Russian screen writer Anatole de Grunwald imbues this poignant adaptation of Wynward Browne's West End stage hit with

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

's spirit and relocates the Russian's genius for deftly-drawn characters to a rambling

parsonage on Christmas Eve. ..while ''The Holly and The Ivy'' now radiates a nostalgic glow, it is actually a revealing record of a country on the cusp of the dramatic social, economic and cultural change that has, sadly, made faith, fidelity and family feel like relics of a distant past."P. Peters, ''Moviemail Catalogue'', November 2009

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holly and the Ivy, The 1952 films 1952 drama films 1950s Christmas films 1950s Christmas drama films British black-and-white films British Christmas drama films British films based on plays Films about alcoholism Films about dysfunctional families Films about religion Films directed by George More O'Ferrall Films produced by Anatole de Grunwald Films scored by Malcolm Arnold Films set in Norfolk Films shot at Shepperton Studios Films with screenplays by Anatole de Grunwald London Films films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links