''The Village Squire'' is a 1935 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

Reginald Denham Reginald Denham (10 January 1894 – 4 February 1983) was an English writer, theatre and film director, actor and film producer. Biography Reginald H. F. Denham was born in London, England, in 1894. He spent a good part of his career dire ...

and starring David Horne,

Leslie Perrins Leslie Perrins (7 October 1901 – 13 December 1962) was an English actor who often played villains. After training at RADA, he was on stage from 1922, and in his long career, appeared in well over 60 films. Hobbies Perrins and wife Violet w ...

Moira Lynd Moira Lynd (1903-1984) was a British stage, television and film actress. During the 1930s she became a leading lady in British quota quickies. She made her last film in 1940, but made several television appearances in the post-war era. Filmogra ...

and

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

. It is based on Arthur Jarvis Black's play. The screenplay concerns a village's amateur production of ''

MacBeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' that is aided by the arrival of a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

star. This provokes the fierce resistance of the village

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...

who hates films.Chibnall p.131 The film was a

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. D ...

, produced at

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

for

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

to help them meet their yearly quota set down by the British government.

Cast

* David Horne - Squire Hollis *

- Richard Venables *

- Mary Hollis *

- Rose Venables * Margaret Watson - Aunt Caroline *

Haddon Mason Haddon Mason (21 February 1898 – 30 April 1966) was a British film actor. Selected filmography * ''Every Mother's Son (film), Every Mother's Son'' (1926) * ''Dawn (1928 film), Dawn'' (1928) * ''The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (film), The ...

- Doctor Blake *

Ivor Barnard Ivor Barnard (13 June 1887 – 30 June 1953) was an English stage, radio and film actor. He was an original member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where he was a notable Shylock and Caliban. He was the original Water Rat in the first L ...

- Mr Worsford

References

Bibliography

* Chibnall, Steve. ''Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' film''. British Film Institute, 2007.

External links

* 1935 films 1935 comedy films Films directed by Reginald Denham British films based on plays Films set in England British comedy films Films produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan Quota quickies British black-and-white films British and Dominions Studios films Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub