''The Oracle'' (known as ''The Horse's Mouth'' in the United States ) is a 1953 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

C.M. Pennington-Richards Cyril Montague Pennington-Richards (17 December 1911 – 2 January 2005) was a British film director and cinematographer.Robert Beatty Robert Rutherford Beatty (19 October 1909 – 3 March 1992) was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK. Early years Beatty was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, O ...

Michael Medwin Michael Hugh Medwin, OBE (18 July 1923 – 26 February 2020) was an English actor and film producer. Life and career Medwin was born in London. He was educated at Canford School, Dorset, and the Institute Fischer, Montreux, Switzerland. He ...

and

Virginia McKenna Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''A Town Like Alice'' (1956), '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''Born Free'' (1966), and ...

. The screenplay concerns a journalist who goes on holiday to Ireland where he encounters a

fortune-teller Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical w ...

Production

It was based on a radio play ''To Tell You the Truth'' by Robert Barr. It was shot at

Southall Studios Southall Studios was a film studio located in Southall, Middlesex (now west London) which operated between 1924 and 1958. The studio was constructed on the site of a former aircraft hangar by the silent film director and producer G.B. Samuelson. ...

on a budget of £43,000.

Plot

Timothy Blake (Michael Medwin), a British reporter holidaying on a remote island offshore of Ireland, hears a man's voice coming from the bottom of a well. The voice turns out to be a modern-day

Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...

, or fortune teller, whose predictions prove uncannily accurate. Bob is determined to get a story out of this, but his editor is less enthusiastic and promptly fires him. The newfound publicity though, means the once-sleepy Irish village is now invaded by curiosity seekers, and those seeking the horse racing results.

Cast

Robert Beatty Robert Rutherford Beatty (19 October 1909 – 3 March 1992) was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK. Early years Beatty was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, O ...

as Bob Jefferson *

as Timothy Blake *

as Shelagh *

Mervyn Johns Mervyn Johns (born David Mervyn John; 18 February 18996 September 1992) was a Welsh stage, film and television character actor who became a star of British films during the Second World War. Johns was known for his "mostly mild-mannered, lugubrio ...

as Tom Mitchum *

Arthur Macrae William Arthur Schröpfer (17 March 1908 – 25 February 1962) known by the pen name and stage name Arthur Macrae was an English playwright and comic actor. He graduated from RADA in 1928; with acting work including the original West End producti ...

as Alan Digby *

Gillian Lind Gillian Lind (25 August 1904 - 25 October 1983) was a British stage, film and television actress. In 1930 she starred in Edgar Wallace's play '' On the Spot'' in the West End.Kabatchnik p.172 She went on to enjoy a long career in film and telev ...

as Jane Bond *

Ursula Howells Ursula Howells (17 September 1922 – 16 October 2005) was an English actress whose elegant presence kept her much in demand for roles in film and television. Life and career Howells was born in London, the daughter of composer Herbert Howells, ...

as Peggy *

Louise Hampton Louise Hampton (23 December 1879 – 10 February 1954) was a British actress. Although her career began when she was a child, it was for "the pathos and dignity of her elderly, motherly roles""Obituary: Louise Hampton", ''The Stage'', 18 Februar ...

as Miss Turner * John Charlesworth as Denis *

Joseph Tomelty Joseph Tomelty (5 March 1911 – 7 June 1995) was an Irish actor, playwright, novelist, short-story writer and theatre manager. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage. starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play ''Over the Bridge''. ...

as Terry Roche *

Lockwood West Harry Lockwood West (28 July 1905 – 28 March 1989) was a British actor. He was the father of actor Timothy West and the grandfather of actor Samuel West. Life and career West was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England in 1905, the son of Mildr ...

as Adams *

Maire O'Neill Maire O'Neill (born Mary Agnes Allgood; 11 January 1886 – 2 November 1952) was an Irish actress of stage and film. She holds a place in theatre history as the first actress to interpret the lead character of Pegeen Mike Flaherty in John Mill ...

as Mrs Lenham * John McBride as Mick * Derek Tansley as Idiot Boy *

Patrick McAlinney Patrick Andrew McAlinney (9 November 1913 – 22 August 1990) was an Irish character actor who starred in many British dramas and sitcoms. His most memorable roles included a brother on the hit sitcom '' Oh, Brother!'', which starred Derek Nimmo ...

as O'Keefe * Lionel Marson as Announcer *

Jean St. Clair Jean St Clair (23 September 1920 – 29 June 1973) was an English actress. She was born in Dublin, Ireland as Jean Margaret Alice St Clair. Her father was a Lieutenant in the 21st Lancers, stationed in Kildare, County Kildare. She made several f ...

as Young Girl *

Jack May Jack Wynne May (23 April 1922 – 19 September 1997) was an English actor. Early life and education May was born in 1922 in Henley-on-Thames, and was educated at Forest School in Walthamstow. After war service with the Royal Indian Navy in Bri ...

as Old Man *

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 Voice of the Oracle

Critical reception

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

'' called it "A lesser comedy of the Ealing school (though not from the

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 ...

)"; 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 ...

'' called it a "piffling comedy in which whimsy is heaped on to make up for the absence of genuine humour"; but ''Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings'' thought more highly of the piece, whilst acknowledging "This is no classic, but it’s pleasant and has a little meat on its bones," and concluding the film was "Worth a look."

References

Bibliography

* Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. ''The British 'B' Film''. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009. * Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. ''British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference''. Oxford University Press, 2007.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oracle 1953 films 1953 comedy films Films shot at Southall Studios British comedy films Films directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards Gambling films Films about journalists Films set in London Films set in Ireland British films based on plays British black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films