''This Man Is Mine'' is a 1946 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

Marcel Varnel Marcel Varnel (16 October 1892 – 13 July 1947) was French film director, notably however for his career in the United States and England as a director of plays and films Biography He was born Marcel Hyacinthe le Bozec in Paris, France. Va ...

and starring

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 ...

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

and

Jeanne De Casalis Jeanne de Casalis (22 May 1897 – 19 August 1966) was a Basutoland-born British actress of stage, radio, TV and film. Born in Basutoland as Jeanne Casalis de Pury, she was educated in France, where her businessman father was the proprietor of ...

. The screenplay concerns a Canadian soldier who is billeted with a British family for the Christmas holidays. It was based on the hit West End play '' A Soldier for Christmas'' by Reginald Beckwith.Baskin & Enser p.421 The film was shot at Pinewood Studios with sets designed by the art director

George Provis George Provis (1901–1989) was a British art director who worked on over a hundred films during a lengthy career. He began his career working on quota quickies during the 1930s. After the Second World War, Provis was appointed by Sydney Box to h ...

. It was the final film of French director Varnel, known for his many comedies featuring music hall stars including

Will Hay William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film ''Oh ...

and

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he s ...

, who died in a car accident following the shooting of the film.

Premise

The wealthy Ferguson family are planning a quiet

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

at their home in the countryside of

Southern England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes ...

. A series of disruptions begin with the arrival of the married elder daughter, who has fled her

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 ...

home after a row with her husband. This is followed successively by Millie a

WAAF WAAF may refer to: * w3af, (short for web application attack and audit framework), an open-source web application security scanner * Women's Auxiliary Air Force, a British military service in World War II ** Waaf, a member of the service * WAAF (AM ...

NAAFI The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ) is a company created by the British government on 9 December 1920 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. It runs ...

girl who used to be a servant in the house now being billeted there, and then a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

soldier Bill from a nearby base who is sent by his

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

as a punishment for getting into fights with British troops in answer to a goodwill invitation from Mrs Ferguson. The scatty Mrs Ferguson expected the Colonel himself to arrive himself, but takes Bill's arrival in her stride. An initial fear that the family will have no bird to cook for

dinner is offset when they are deluged by gifts of

turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

s from several different directions, ending up with far too many. The younger daughter of the house Phoebe had been previously showing some interest in their lodger Ronnie, a

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

. Suffering doubts about his offer of marriage, she seemingly falls head over heals with the strong, easygoing Canadian who is billeted with them. This provokes rivalry with Millie who also rapidly falls in love with him. The sardonic Ronnie finds himself pushed aside, and even when he saves Bill's life rescuing some

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...

stolen by a criminal gang, he allows the Canadian to be hailed as a hero and himself as a coward. Things come to a head after a dance at the Canadian base. Phoebe spends a long time in Bill's room which several other characters, particularly Millie and Mrs Ferguson, draw the worst implications from. In fact they have been taking things over. Before long Phoebe realises she really does love Ronnie. The eldest daughter is then reconciled with her husband who arrives from London with yet another turkey. In the

postwar In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period ...

era Bill is back in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

where he and Millie have been happily married for several years.

Cast

as Philip Ferguson *

as Millie *

Jeanne de Casalis Jeanne de Casalis (22 May 1897 – 19 August 1966) was a Basutoland-born British actress of stage, radio, TV and film. Born in Basutoland as Jeanne Casalis de Pury, she was educated in France, where her businessman father was the proprietor of ...

as Mrs Ferguson * Hugh McDermott as Bill Mackenzie *

Nova Pilbeam Nova Margery Pilbeam (15 November 1919 – 17 July 2015) was an English film and stage actress. She played leading roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films of the 1930s, and made her last film in 1948. Early life Pilbeam was born in Wimbledon, Sur ...

as Phoebe Ferguson *

Barry Morse Herbert Morse (10 June 19182 February 2008), known professionally as Barry Morse, was a British-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio, best known for his roles in the ABC television series '' The Fugitive'' and the British sci-fi drama '' ...

as Ronnie *

Rosalyn Boulter Rosalyn Boulter (1 February 19176 March 1997) was a British film actress. She married Stanley Haynes, a film writer, director and producer before having a daughter together, Carol, in 1943. Between 1935 and 1936 she featured in four West End ...

as Brenda Ferguson *

Ambrosine Phillpotts Ambrosine Phillpotts (13 September 1912 – 12 October 1980) was a British actress of theatre, TV, radio and film. '' The Times'' wrote, "She was one of the last great stage aristocrats, a stylish comedienne best known for playing on stage a ...

as Lady Daubney *

Mary Merrall Mary Merrall (5 January 1890 – 31 August 1973), born Elsie Lloyd, was an English actress whose career of over 60 years encompassed stage, film and television work. Stage career Merrall's stage career started in her teens, making her first stag ...

as Mrs Jarvis *

Agnes Lauchlan Agnes Lauchlan (10 February 1905 – 28 August 1993) was a British stage, film and television actress. Agnes Mary Lauchlan, was born on 10 February 1905 in Putney, London, to Henry D. Lauchlan, a surgeon, and his Scottish-born wife Minnie. S ...

as Cook *

Bernard Lee John Bernard Lee (10 January 190816 January 1981) was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven Eon-produced James Bond films. Lee's film career spanned the years 1934 to 1979, though he had appeared on stage from ...

as James Nicholls *

Charles Victor Charles Victor (10 February 1896 – 23 December 1965) was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles between 1931 and 1965. He was born Charles Victor Harvey. Born in Southport, Lancashire, England, Victor was a fourth ...

as Hijacker * Bryan Herbert as Hijacker *

Peter Gawthorne Peter Gawthorne (1 September 1884 – 17 March 1962) was an Anglo-Irish actor, probably best known for his roles in the films of Will Hay and other popular British comedians of the 1930s and 1940s. Gawthorne was one of Britain's most called-upo ...

as Businessman *

Cyril Smith Sir Cyril Richard Smith (28 June 1928 – 3 September 2010) was a prominent British politician who after his death was revealed to have been a prolific serial sex offender against children. A member of the Liberal Party, he was Member of ...

as Taxi driver *

Charles Farrell Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...

as Canadian Sergeant * Natalie Lynn as Mrs. Mackenzie * Leslie Dwyer as Van Driver

References

Bibliography

* Baskin, Ellen & Enser, A. G. S. ''Enser's filmed books and plays: 1928-2001''. Ashgate Publishing, 2003.

External links

* 1946 films 1946 comedy films 1940s English-language films British films based on plays Films directed by Marcel Varnel British comedy films Films set in England Columbia Pictures films British black-and-white films Films produced by Marcel Varnel 1940s British films Films set in London Films shot at Pinewood Studios {{1940s-UK-comedy-film-stub