Once Upon a Dream (1949 film)

Once Upon a Dream is a 1949 British comedy romance film directed by Ralph Thomas in his debut and starring Googie Withers, Griffith Jones, Guy Middleton, and Maurice Denham.[1] It was a J. Arthur Rank presentation and a Sydney Box production, and was released through General Film Distributors Ltd. The film was made at the Lime Grove Studios with sets designed by the art director Cedric Dawe.

Once Upon a Dream
Directed byRalph Thomas
Produced byAntony Darnborough
Sydney Box
Screenplay byPatrick Kirwan
Victor Katona
Story byVal Guest
StarringGoogie Withers
Griffith Jones
Guy Middleton
Music byArthur Wilkinson
CinematographyJack E. Cox
Edited byJean Barker
Production
company
Sydney Box Productions
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • February 1949 (1949-02) (UK)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Just after World War II, an officer's wife has a romantic dream about her husband's man (servant) and comes to believe it is true. Meanwhile, the husband has asked his servant to help him, after the war, by suggesting ways to reignite the romance he and his wife had before the war, and also a way to make money in the post-war economy. Misdirection and misunderstandings ensue.

Cast

Production

Margaret Lockwood refused to do the film and was put on suspension by Rank.[2]

Ralph Thomas was head of the trailer department for the Rank Film Organisation. He had made a number of trailers for producer Sydney Box, including one for the film Miranda (1948) which Box liked. "He was particularly taken with it," said Thomas. When the original director for Once Upon a Dream fell ill, Box offered Thomas the chance to direct. It was on this film that Thomas met Box's sister Betty, who would go on to make over 20 films with Thomas.[3]

Reception

By 1953 the film earned a net revenue of £79,000.[4]

Allmovie noted, "More silly than funny, Once Upon a Dream is kept alive by the enthusiastic performances of its leading players."[5]

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References
  1. "Once upon a Dream (1948)".
  2. Vagg, Stephen (29 January 2020). "Why Stars Stop Being Stars: Margaret Lockwood". Filmink.
  3. Collected Interviews: Voices from Twentieth-century Cinema by Wheeler W. Dixon, SIU Press, 2001 p109
  4. Andrew Spicer, Sydney Box Manchester Uni Press 2006 p 211
  5. "Once Upon a Dream (1949) - Ralph Thomas - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie".


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