''It's a Bet'' is a 1935 British

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Alexander Esway Alexander Esway (20 January 1895 – 23 August 1947) was a Hungarian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Esway was born Sándor Ezry in Budapest. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he worked as a director and screenwrit ...

and starring

Gene Gerrard Gene Gerrard (31 August 1892 – 1 June 1971) was an English film and stage actor, and occasional film director. He starred in light musical comedies but returned to his stage career by the 1930s. He was born Eugene O'Sullivan and began as ...

Helen Chandler Helen Chandler (February 1, 1906 – April 30, 1965) was an American film and theater actress, best known for playing Mina Seward in the 1931 horror film ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracula''. Career Born in Charleston, So ...

and

Judy Kelly Julie Aileen Kelly (1 November 1913 – 22 October 1991), known professionally as Judy Kelly, was an Australian-born British actress. She arrived in Britain in 1932 after winning a competition organised by the Australian British Empire Films, wh ...

. It was made 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 ...

British International Pictures Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appr ...

.Wood p.82 The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

David Rawnsley David Rawnsley (1909–1977) was a British art director. For his last four films, Rawnsley oversaw a scheme to streamline production operations for the Rank Organisation. His innovations were widely ridiculed by the Rank film crews. Despite thi ...

Synopsis

A young English reporter makes a bet with a wealthy publisher that he can disappear for a month. In his absence the publisher makes much of the mysterious disappearance in an attempt to boost the circulation of his newspaper.

Cast

as Rollo Briggs *

as Clare *

as Anne *

Allen Vincent Allen Leffingwell Vincent (August 28, 1903 – November 30, 1979) was an American actor and Academy Awards, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. He started as a stage actor in New York City before moving to acting in motion pictures in the late ...

as Norman * Dudley Rolph as Harry * Nadine March as Mis Parsons *

Polly Ward Polly Ward (born Byno Poluski; 30 June 1912–23 February 1987) was a British singer and actress. Filmography * ''The Marriage Business'' (1927) * '' Alf's Button'' (1930) * ''Harmony Heaven'' (1930) * '' His Lordship'' (1932) * '' Kentucky Mins ...

as Maudie *

Alf Goddard Frank Henry "Alf" Goddard (28 November 1897 in Brentford, Middlesex – 25 February 1981 in Ealing, London) was an English film actor. Brother of a famous boxer, Alf Goddard was once a boxer too. He was also a trained athlete and a professiona ...

as Joe *

Jimmy Godden Jimmy Godden (11 August 1879 – 5 March 1955) was a British film actor. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and was in the Civil Service before becoming a concert pianist. Godden later turned to the stage and made his debut in pantomime at the ...

as Mayor * Frank Stanmore as Tramp *

Ronald Shiner Ronald Alfred Shiner (8 June 1903 – 29 June 1966) was a British stand-up comedian and comedy actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall. Career Early life and career When he was seventeen, Shiner joined the Royal Nor ...

as Fair Man *

Ellen Pollock Ellen Pollock (29 June 1902 – 29 March 1997) was a British character actress who mainly appeared on stage in London's West End. She also appeared in several films and TV productions. A devotee of Bernard Shaw, she was president of the Shaw S ...

as Mrs. Joe *

Violet Farebrother Violet Farebrother (22 August 1888 – 27 September 1969) was an English actress. She appeared in 25 films between 1911 and 1965, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and died in Eastbo ...

as Lady *

George Zucco George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave ...

as Convict *

Raymond Raikes Raymond Montgomery Raikes (13 September 1910 – 2 October 1998) was a British theatre producer, director and broadcaster. He was particularly known for his productions of classic dramas for BBC Radio's "World Theatre" and "National Theatre of ...

Syd Crossley Syd Crossley (18 November 1885 – 1 November 1960) was an English stage and film actor. Born in London in 1885, Crossley began his career as a music hall comedian. He appeared in more than 110 films, often cast as a butler, between 1925 an ...

Charlotte Parry Charlotte Jane Parry (born 16 August 1976) is a British actress. Personal life Born in Birmingham, England. She graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1999. She is also a painter and has trained as a midwife. Career Af ...

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985. * Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

* * * 1935 films 1935 comedy-drama films British black-and-white films British comedy-drama films Films shot at British International Pictures Studios Films directed by Alexander Esway Films set in London 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-comedy-drama-film-stub