''Time Gentlemen, Please!'' (also known as ''Nothing To Lose'') is a 1952 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), '' Sink the Bismarck! ...

and starring

Eddie Byrne Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside of Ireland, he is probably best k ...

Jane Barrett Jane Barrett (1922 – 1969) was an English actress. Barrett was born in Highgate, left school aged 14 and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She worked extensively in radio, theatre and television. It was estimated she appeared in o ...

and

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University, but g ...

. The screenplay was by Val Valentine and Peter Blackmore based on the 1946 novel ''Nothing to Lose'' by R.J. Minney. It was produced by

Group 3 Films Group 3 Films was a short lived British film production company that operated from 1951 to 1955. Background It was set up by the National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC) to help finance movies from newer filmmakers. Its films were to be distribu ...

with funding from the NFFC and distributed by ABPC. Apart from occasional scene location within the bar (not critical to the plot) the title of the film (a phrase used at closing time in British bars) is not explained.

Plot

The Ministry of Industrial Co-ordination is making a study of employment rates in British towns. The top will receive a visit from the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. They are surprised that the best, allegedly at 99.9%, is Little Hayhoe, a small town in

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

with a population of 2,000 and only one unemployed. The missing "0.1%" is Irishman Daniel "Dan" Dance, who is a homeless person but well-liked by most of the residents. The village

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

, however, are eager to put him out of the way before the Prime Minister arrives. When Dan leaves the pub without paying his bill, the landlord and councillor Eric Hace reports Dan to the village's only policeman, Police Constable Tumball, who arrests Dan. Sir Digby Montague, the head of the council and one of the local magistrates, plans to sentence him to a week in gaol. When Sir Digby finds that his maid Sally, who is Dan's granddaughter, has been giving Dan Sir Digby's leftovers for dinner regularly, he promptly sacks her. The official reason that all get in trouble is theft of a fork. Miss Mouncey, another councillor, comes up with the idea that Dan should be sent to live in one of the

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

s, which have been empty for 50 years.

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

Reverend Simpson informs the Crouches, the custodians, that the regulations are to be strictly enforced, even though they are 400 years old. Among other things, the rules dictate that he be washed by the matron every night and wear a uniform in the manner of a

Chelsea Pensioner A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea ...

. When Dan returns drunk the next night, he is put in

stocks Stocks are feet and hand restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation. The use of stocks is seen as early as Ancient Greece, where they are described as being in use in Solon's law code. The law de ...

. Displeased by this, the villagers pelt Timothy Crouch with food, rather than pelt Dan as the councillor intended. Bill Jordan, who is sympathetic to Dan's plight and attracted to Sally, reminds the councillors that an election will be held before the Prime Minister's visit. When the vicar dies, he is replaced by the Reverend Soater, a much more lenient man and an Irishman himself. Soater examines the rules (written in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

) to see if he can do anything to help his countryman. He discovers that the rents for the extensive lands indicated on a map are supposed to go to the upkeep of the almshouses, with any remainder distributed between the inmates daily. He estimates that the rents amount to almost £7,000 per annum. Dan, as the only inmate, is entitled to £20 a day. After consulting a lawyer the next day, Soater gives Dan £20, plus the arrears from when Soater arrived. The news spreads quickly and Dan treats everyone to drinks and gifts. To get Dan to leave the almshouse, Sir Digby offers him a very easy job, though with a much smaller salary. When Dan refuses, Hace schemes to make Dan late for the daily 9.00pm closing of the almshouse gates, which would disqualify him, enlisting Miss Mouncey to help distract Dan, but Dan gets Miss Mouncey drunk and she blurts out the plot. Dan rushes back to the almshouse just in time. Bill Jordan goes out on a date with Peggy Stebbins and, at her insistence, kisses her. Then he quickly drives over to Sally's lodgings and, without a word, kisses her, but when he admits Peggy put the idea into his head, Sally becomes annoyed and slams the door on him. With the council elections coming up, Mr. Spink, who owns the local factory, suggests that Dan run for office. Dan is uninterested at first, but soon decides he will, and he is joined by Bill Jordan, Spink and Mary Wade, the shopkeeper who now employs Sally. Hace comes up with a scheme to make Dan look foolish by recruiting 11 tramps for the almshouse, but Soater cites a regulation that the additions must be approved by the residents, and Dan rejects them. The new candidates are all elected, displacing the previous councillors. Sally is overjoyed and kisses Bill. Dan rushes back to the almshouse at 9.00, where he exacts revenge on the Crouches and then heads back to the festivities. He announces that now that he has disqualified himself, the money can go to more worthy causes and the almshouses will be converted to a day nursery for the workers' children. Spink offers Dan a job suitable to his talents: mattress tester. With that, Little Hayhoe reaches its goal of 100% employment and welcomes the visit of the Prime Minister.

Cast

as Dan Dance *

as Sally *

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

as Bill Jordan *

as Sir Digby Montague * Sidney James as the pub landlord, Eric Hace *

Marjorie Rhodes Marjorie Rhodes (9 April 1897 – 4 July 1979) was a British actress. She was born Millicent Wise in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. Career One of her better-known roles was as Lucy Fitton, the mother in Bill Naughton's pl ...

as Miss Mouncey *

Hermione Baddeley Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (13 November 1906 – 19 August 1986) was an English actress of theatre, film, and television. She typically played brash, vulgar characters, often referred to as "brassy" or "blowsy".Folkart, Burt, "Note ...

as Emma Stebbins *

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was an English actress of stage, film and television.Thora Hird Dame Thora Hird (28 May 1911 – 15 March 2003) was an English actress. In a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in more than 100 films, as well as many television roles, becoming a household name and a British institution. Hird w ...

as Alice Crouch *

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 Lo ...

as Timothy Crouch *

Edie Martin Edith Emma "Edie" Martin (1 January 1880 – 22 February 1964) was a British actress. She was a ubiquitous performer, on stage from 1886, playing generally small parts but in high demand, appearing in scores of British films (although often u ...

as Mary Wade *

Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was bor ...

as Joseph Spink * Joan Young as Mrs. Round *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone app ...

as Mrs. Pincer * Patrick McAlinney as Rev. Soater * Julian D'Albie as George Burton * Nigel Clarke as Rev. Simpson * Henry Longhurst as P.C. Tumball * Peter Jones as Lionel Batts *

Peter Swanwick Walter Peter Swanwick (29 September 1922 – 14 November 1968) was a British actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, ''The Prisoner''. Swanwick's film career began with bit parts in fi ...

as Jeremiah Higgins * Thomas Gallagher as Bob Cannon * Freda Bamford as Mabel *

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio, worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career that spanned seventy years. Born in Kingston upon ...

as Public Relations Officer for the Prime Minister * Brian Roper as Cyril * Harry Herbert as tramp *

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 Br ...

as man with ear-trumpet * Toke Townley as potman * Tristan Rawson as Dr. Hawkes * Donovan Winter as Hairdresser * Sheila Aza as manicurist * Julie Milton as Manor house maid * Michael Edmonds as Freckles * Cora Bennett as P.R.O.'s secretary * Audrey Noble as Spink's secretary * Virginia Winter as vicarage maid * Neil Gemmell as heckler * Helen Boursnell as P.C. Tumball's little girl

Production

It was the third film from Group 3 Films and was shot under the title ''Nothing to Lose''. John Grierson head of Group 3 said it was "gentle nose thumbing" and hoped it could be as good as ''The Digger's Daughter'' or ''The Baker's Wife''. The film's sets were designed by the

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

Michael Stringer. 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 a vibrant and productive part of Southall's cultural history. At its peak – in the early 1950s – the fi ...

and on location at

Thaxted Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of north-west Essex, England. The town is in the valley of the River Chelmer, not far from its source in the nearby village of Debden, and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level (w ...

. Filming started September 1951.Part of the finance came from two rubber merchants, Colonels Weil and Prior.

Home media

In 2007, ''Time Gentlemen, Please!'' was given a DVD release as part of the Long Lost Comedy Classics collection.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "This is quite a nice little picture. The village scene – the film was largely shot in Thaxted – is prettily caught and the characterisations manage to escape the patronage which they so often receive in British films of this kind. While showing no particular flair for comedy, Lewis Gilbert's direction is competent; but the dialogue is often extremely laborious, intent on ramming home each gag. Eddie Byrne, clearly too youthful for the part of Dan, gives an agreeable enough performance, though lacking the personal magnetism which could carry a film of this type." The film historians Steve Chibnall and

Brian McFarlane Brian McFarlane is a Canadian television sportscaster and author. He is best known as a broadcaster on Hockey Night In Canada and as an author of hockey books. He is also the honorary president of the Society for International Hockey Researc ...

regard ''Time Gentlemen, Please!'' as one of "the most attractive British 'B' films, noting that "it has the advantage of an amusing screenplay ... a central character engaging enough in concept and execution to hold the narrative together, and one of those prodigally rich casts of British character actors ... which can make much worse films than this enjoyable".Steve Chibnall &

, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, pp. 202–3.

References

External links

*
''Time Gentlemen, Please!''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* {{Lewis Gilbert 1952 films 1952 comedy films British black-and-white films British comedy films Films directed by Lewis Gilbert Films produced by Herbert Mason Films scored by Antony Hopkins Films set in Essex Films shot in Essex Films shot at Southall Studios Films based on British novels 1953 comedy films 1953 films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films