''The Man in the White Suit'' is a 1951 British
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
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 ...
made by
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...
. It stars
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...
,
Joan Greenwood
Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...
and
Cecil Parker
Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe, 3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between ...
and was directed by
Alexander Mackendrick
Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 – December 22, 1993) was an American-born director and professor, long based in Scotland. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and later moved to Scotland. He began making television commercials befor ...
. The film was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Writing (Screenplay) for
Roger MacDougall
Roger MacDougall (2 August 1910, in Glasgow – 27 May 1993) was a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and director.
Biography
MacDougall began writing the occasional screenplay in the late 30s, working both alone and in collaboration with ...
,
John Dighton
John Gervase DightonCollections"John Dighton"''British Film Institute''. Retrieved 30 August 2020. (8 December 1909 – 16 April 1989) was a British playwright and screenwriter.
Dighton was born in London to Basil Lewis Dighton, of West Ken ...
and
Alexander Mackendrick
Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 – December 22, 1993) was an American-born director and professor, long based in Scotland. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and later moved to Scotland. He began making television commercials befor ...
.
It followed a common
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...
theme of the "common man" against
the Establishment
''The Establishment'' is a term used to describe a dominant social group , group or elite that controls a polity or an organization. It may comprise a closed social group that selects its own members, or entrenched elite structures in specific ...
. In this instance the hero falls foul of both
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
s and the wealthy mill owners who attempt to suppress his invention.
Mandy Miller
Mandy Miller (born Carmen Isabella Miller, 23 July 1944) is an English child actress who made a number of films in the 1950s and is probably best remembered for her recording of the 1956 song "Nellie the Elephant".
Early life and career
She was ...
(aged only 6) made her first film appearance in this film.
Plot
Sidney Stratton, a brilliant young research
chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
and former
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
scholarship recipient, has been dismissed from jobs at several
textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
s in the
north of England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...
because of his demands for expensive facilities and his obsession with inventing an everlasting
fibre
Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...
. Whilst working as a labourer at the Birnley Mills, he accidentally becomes an unpaid researcher and invents an incredibly strong fibre which repels dirt and never wears out. From this fabric, a suit is made—which is brilliant white because it cannot absorb dye and slightly luminous because it includes
radioactive
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consid ...
elements.
Stratton is lauded as a genius until both management and the trade unions realise the consequence of his invention; once consumers have purchased enough cloth, demand will drop precipitously and put the textile industry out of business. The managers try to trick and bribe Stratton into signing away the rights to his invention but he refuses. Managers and workers each try to shut him away, but he escapes.
The bosses negotiate with Daphne, the daughter of the owner of Birnley Mills, that she will trick Stratton into giving it all up and she asks £5000 for this, but when she meets Stratton she has a change of heart and encourages him to announce his invention to the press. Going back to his rooms he is confronted by a woman who he thought was on his side, but suddenly realises that no-one wants his invention.
The climax sees Stratton running through the streets at night in his glowing white suit, pursued by both the managers and the employees. As the crowd advances, his suit begins to fall apart as the chemical structure of the fibre breaks down with time. The mob, realising the flaw in the process, rip pieces off his suit in triumph, until he is left standing in his shirt and underwear. Only Daphne Birnley, the mill-owner's daughter, and Bertha, a works labourer, have sympathy for his disappointment.
The next day, Stratton is dismissed from his job. Departing, he consults his chemistry notes. A realisation hits and he exclaims, "I see!" With that he strides off, perhaps to try again elsewhere.
Cast
*
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...
as Sidney Stratton
*
Joan Greenwood
Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...
as Daphne Birnley
*
Cecil Parker
Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe, 3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between ...
as Alan Birnley
*
Michael Gough
Francis Michael Gough ( ; 23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011) was a British character actor who made more than 150 film and television appearances. He is known for his roles in the Hammer Horror Films from 1958, with his first role as Sir Arthu ...
as Michael Corland
*
Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger, CBE (15 January 1879 – 14 January 1961) was an English stage and film actor. He is noted for his performance as Doctor Septimus Pretorius in James Whale's film ''Bride of Frankenstein'' (1935).
Biography
E ...
as Sir John Kierlaw
*
Howard Marion-Crawford
Howard Marion-Crawford (17 January 1914 – 24 November 1969), the grandson of writer F. Marion Crawford, was an English character actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in the 1954 television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In 19 ...
as Cranford
*
Henry Mollison
Evelyn Henry Mollison (21 February 1905 – 19 July 1985) was a British theatre and film actor. He was the brother of the actor Clifford Mollison.
During World War II, he was held as a Prisoner of War for five years by the Nazis, after his ...
as Hoskins
*
Vida Hope
Vida Hope (16 December 1910 – 23 December 1963) was a British stage and film actress, who also directed stage productions.
Life and career
Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, to theatrical parents, she travelled widely as a child.Some of the Comp ...
as Bertha
*
Patric Doonan
Patric Doonan (George William Doonan) (18 April 1926 in Derby, Derbyshire – 10 March 1958 in London) was a British stage and screen actor. He was the son of comedian George Vincent Doonan and Doris Mary (Nee Endsor) he was the brother of ...
as Frank
*
Duncan Lamont
Duncan William Ferguson Lamont (17 June 1918 – 19 December 1978) was a British actor.Brian McFarlane (Ed): ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'' (BFI/Methuen • London • 2000) p397''Picture Show Who's Who on the Screen'' (Amalgamated Pre ...
as Harry
*
Harold Goodwin as Wilkins
*
Colin Gordon
Colin Gordon (27 April 1911 – 4 October 1972) was a British actor born in Ceylon.
Biography
He was educated at Marlborough College and Christ Church, Oxford. He made his first West End appearance in 1934 as the hind legs of a horse in a ...
as Hill
*Joan Harben as Miss Johnson
*
Arthur Howard
Arthur Howard (born Arthur John Steiner; 18 January 1910 – 18 June 1995) was an English stage, film and television actor.
Life and career
Born in Camberwell, London, Howard was the younger son of Lilian (née Blumberg) and Ferdinand "Frank" ...
as Roberts
*
Roddy Hughes
Rhodri Henry Hughes (19 June 1891 – 22 February 1970) was a Welsh theatre, film and television actor, who appeared in over 80 films between 1932 and 1961.
Selected filmography
* ''Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932)
* ''Reunion'' (1932)
* '' Say ...
as Green
*
Stuart Latham
Harry Stuart Latham (11 July 1912 – 31 August 1993) was an English theatre and film actor, director and television producer.
Biography
Latham was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey on 11 July 1912.
After an apprenticeship in repertory theat ...
as Harrison
*
Miles Malleson
William Miles Malleson (25 May 1888 – 15 March 1969) was an English actor and dramatist, particularly remembered for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career he also appeared in cameo roles i ...
as the Tailor
*
Edie Martin
Edie Martin (1 January 1880 – 22 February 1964) was a British actress. She was a ubiquitous performer, on stage from 1886, playing generally small parts but in high demand, appearing in scores of British films (although often uncredited). ...
as Mrs. Watson
*
Mandy Miller
Mandy Miller (born Carmen Isabella Miller, 23 July 1944) is an English child actress who made a number of films in the 1950s and is probably best remembered for her recording of the 1956 song "Nellie the Elephant".
Early life and career
She was ...
as Gladdie, little girl who sends a message for Stratton
*
Charlotte Mitchell
Charlotte Mitchell (born Edna Winifred Mitchell; 23 July 1926 – 2 May 2012) was an English actress and poet.
Biography
In the 1950s she provided lyrics, sketches, and occasionally acted in revues on London's West End. She was especiall ...
as Mill Girl
*Olaf Olsen as Knudsen
*
Desmond Roberts
Desmond Roberts (5 February 1894 – 11 January 1968) was a British stage and film actorLeibfried & Lane p. 105. who also played first-class cricket, 1913–1936, for Surrey. He was born in Hampstead, and died in Eastbourne.
Partial filmography ...
as Mannering
*
Ewan Roberts
Ewan Roberts (29 April 1914–10 January 1983) was a Scottish stage, film and television actor. On stage from 1935, his theatre work included a season with the Old Vic, in 1946-1947. In 1949 he appeared at the Adelphi Theatre in '' Castle in ...
as Fotheringay
*
John Rudling
John Rudling (b.August 31, 1907-d.December 18, 1983) was an English actor active on both stage and screen who was perhaps best known for playing the butler Brabinger in the popular BBC sitcom '' To the Manor Born''.
Biography and television role ...
as Wilson
*Charles Saynor as Pete
*
Russell Waters
Russell Waters (born 10 June 1908, Glasgow, Lanarkshire – died 19 August 1982, Richmond, Surrey) was a Scottish film actor.
Waters was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, Glasgow and the University of Glasgow. He began acting with the ...
as Davidson
*
Brian Worth as King
*
George Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...
as the Lodger
*
Frank Atkinson as the Baker
*
Charles Cullum
Charles Cullum (8 March 18991979) was a British stage and film actor.
On 29 December 1930 Mary Ellen Chaddock, a popular British magazine model, reportedly committed suicide after learning Cullum had married in New York. At the time he was touri ...
as 1st Company Director
*F.B.J. Sharp as 2nd Company Director
*Scott Harold as Express Reporter
*
Jack Howarth as Receptionist at Corland Mill
*
Jack McNaughton
Jack McNaughton (22 December 190522 February 1990) was a British stage and film actor. As a character actor he mostly played supporting roles, but occasionally featured in major roles such as playing the male lead in the 1951 comedy ''Cheer the ...
as Taxi Driver
*
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 Nurse Gamage
*
Billy Russell as Nightwatchman
Sound
The gurgling musical theme, "Guggle Glub Gurgle", that plays when Sidney Stratton’s apparatus is bubbling or when he is thinking about his invention is not made by musical instruments, but by laboratory equipment.
Reception
The film opened at the
Odeon Marble Arch
The Odeon Marble Arch (known as the Regal from 1928 to 1945) was a cinema in London located opposite Marble Arch, at the top of Park Lane, with its main entrance on Edgware Road. It operated in various forms from 1928 to 2016, and is most famo ...
cinema in London on 10 August 1951,
and was one of the most popular films of the year in Britain. It earned rentals of $460,000 in the United States and Canada. (This figure was also given as $500,000.)
The
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, ...
named it the
58th greatest British film of all time. In 2014 ''
The 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 ...
'' included it as one of the twenty best British
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
films.
Stage adaptation
A
stage play
A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and intended for theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Reading (process), reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright.
Pla ...
based on the film directed by
Sean Foley and starring
Stephen Mangan
Stephen James Mangan (born 16 May 1968) is an English actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He has played Guy Secretan in ''Green Wing'', Dan Moody in '' I'm Alan Partridge'', Seán Lincoln in ''Episodes'', Bigwig in ''Watership Down'', Postma ...
and
Kara Tointon
Kara Louise Tointon (born 5 August 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2010, she won the BBC competition series ''Strictly Come Dancing'', and in 2015, she appeared as ...
opened at the
Theatre Royal, Bath
The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...
in September 2019 before transferring to the
Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...
in London's
West End.
References
Further reading
* ''The Great British Films'', pp. 153–155, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press,
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Man in the White Suit, The
1951 films
1950s satirical films
1950s science fiction comedy films
British satirical films
British science fiction comedy films
British black-and-white films
Films about labour
Films about fashion in the United Kingdom
Films set in Manchester
Ealing Studios films
Films directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Films produced by Michael Balcon
Films scored by Benjamin Frankel
1951 comedy films
1950s business films
Films shot in Greater Manchester
1950s English-language films
1950s British films