''Brandy for the Parson'' is a 1952 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 o ...

directed by John Eldridge and starring

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this per ...

, Charles Hawtrey, James Donald and

Jean Lodge Jean Margaret Lodge (born 4 August 1927) is an English stage, film and television actress. Career In 1952 she appeared alongside Claude Hulbert in the West End in Constance Cox's ''Lord Arthur Savile's Crime''. In 1954 she starred in William ...

. It was based on a short story by

Geoffrey Household Geoffrey Edward West Household (30 November 1900 – 4 October 1988) was a prolific British novelist who specialized in thrillers. He is best known for his novel '' Rogue Male'' (1939). Personal life He was born in Bristol; his father Horace ...

from ''Tales of Adventurers'' (1952). The title is a reference to the refrain of the poem "A Smuggler's Song" by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)'' The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

Plot

Bill and Petronilla are a young couple on a yachting holiday. They agree to give a lift to friendly Tony and his cargo, who unbeknownst to them is a brandy smuggler. Before they know it, the couple are fleeing cross-country, chased by customs men.

Main cast

* James Donald as Bill Harper *

as Tony Rackham *

as Petronilla Brand * Frederick Piper as Customs inspector * Charles Hawtrey as George Crumb * Michael Trubshawe as Redworth * Alfie Bass as Dallyn *

Wilfrid Caithness Wilfrid Caithness or Wilfred Caithness (1883–1954) was a British stage and film actor. He played the role of Sebastian Moran in the 1935 film ''The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes''.Reid p.163 Selected filmography * ''A Voice Said Goodnight '' (193 ...

as Mr. Minch * Lionel Harris as Mr. Frost * Richard Molinas as Massaud *

Reginald Beckwith William Reginald Beckwith (2 November 190826 June 1965) was an English film and television actor, who made over one hundred film and television appearances in his career. He died of a heart attack aged 56. Beckwith was also a film critic and ...

as Scoutmaster * Stanley Lemin as Customs officer * Arthur Wontner as Major Glockleigh * Frank Tickle as Vicar * Amy Dalby as Postmistress * Wensley Pithey as Circus owner * Sam Kydd as Lorry driver

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-cul ...

called it "wafer-thin comedy"; and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "a mild but tasty distillate." ''

Picture Show ''Picture Show'' is the second studio album by American rock band Neon Trees. The lead single, "Everybody Talks", was released on December 20, 2011, and the album was released on April 17, 2012. The music video for "Everybody Talks" was released o ...

'' magazine found it "well acted against a delightful background of English scenery, beautifully photographed", and the film's executive producer

John Grierson John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a pioneering Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Fl ...

described it as "a sweet lemon of a picture" with a feel of "old oak and seaweed".Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 116.

References

External links

*
Review of film
at Variety 1952 films 1952 romantic comedy films British crime comedy films British romantic comedy films 1950s English-language films Films set in England Films set in London Seafaring films 1950s crime comedy films British black-and-white films Films directed by John Eldridge 1950s British films {{romantic-comedy-film-stub