My Wife's Lodger
My Wife's Lodger is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Dominic Roche, Olive Sloane and Leslie Dwyer.[1] The screenplay concerns a who soldier returns home after the Second World War only to find a spiv lodger has established himself in his place.[2][3] It was based on the play My Wife's Lodger written by Roche.[4]
My Wife's Lodger | |
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Directed by | Maurice Elvey |
Produced by | David Dent |
Written by | Stafford Dickens Dominic Roche (play) |
Starring | Dominic Roche Olive Sloane Leslie Dwyer Diana Dors |
Music by | Francis Essex |
Cinematography | Phil Grindrod Les Harris |
Edited by | Lito Carruthers |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Adelphi Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Cast
- Dominic Roche - Willie Higginbotham
- Olive Sloane - Maggie Higginbotham
- Leslie Dwyer - Roger the Lodger
- Diana Dors - Eunice Higginbotham
- Alan Sedgwick - Tex
- Vincent Dowling - Norman Higginbotham
- Vi Kaley - Mother-in-Law
- Martin Wyldeck - Policeman
- David Hannaford - Vernon
- Ilena Sylva - Vernon's Mother
- Ronald Adam - Doctor
- Wally Patch - Sergeant
- Derek Tansley - Deserter
- Alastair Hunter - Lance Corporal
- Toke Townley - Soldier
- Fred Griffiths - Driver
- Harry Locke - Passer-by
Produciton
Filming took place in May 1952. Dors was appearing in a revue Rendezvous at night[5]
Critical reception
TV Guide wrote, "the energy of the ensemble partly makes up for the film's lack of coherence and taste."[6] The 'Daily Film Renter' (quoted in BFI Screenonline) wrote, "the acting is of the 'Ee-bai-goom' school and the dialogue is the ripe, uninhibited language of the music hall... as briny as jellied eels on Southend Pier."[4] In 'CathodeRayTube.co.uk', Frank Collins writes, "there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments here and the humour derived from the antics of such a dysfunctional family reflect many of the tropes that would find their way into British sitcoms of the late 1960s and 1970s where other ideological wars would be fought - based on gender, class, race and religion."[2]
References
- "My Wife's Lodger (1952)". BFI.
- Frank Collins. "June 2010". Cathode Ray Tube. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- "My Wife's Lodger (1953) - Maurice Elvey - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
- "BFI Screenonline: My Wife's Lodger (1952)". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- Pin Money Date: Wednesday, May 14, 1952 Publication: Daily Mail (London, England) Issue: 17464
- "My Wife's Lodger - TV Guide". TVGuide.com.