''Something in the City'' is a 1950 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 ol ...

directed by

Maclean Rogers Maclean Rogers (13 July 1899 – 4 January 1962) was a British film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography Director * '' The Third Eye'' (1929) * '' The Mayor's Nest'' (1932) * '' Up for the Derby'' (1933) * ''The Crime at Blossoms'' ...

and starring

Richard Hearne Richard Lewis Hearne (30 January 1908 – 23 August 1979) was an English actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best remembered for his stage and television character Mr Pastry. Career Hearne was born in Norwich, Norfolk, in 1908, the son ...

Garry Marsh Garry Marsh (21 June 1902 – 6 March 1981) was an English stage and film actor. Born Leslie Marsh Gerahty in St Margarets, Surrey, his parents were George and Laura. His elder brothers were the author Digby George Gerahty and the journalist ...

and

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 ...

. It includes an early uncredited performance by

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

as a police constable.

Plot

Mr Ningle has been living a lie for seven years by pretending to still be

commuting Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regul ...

to his financial services job in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

from which he had been sacked. Every day, he journeys in and changes into the disguise of his alter ego: an artist who sells paintings on the pavement in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

. His life is thrown into turmoil when his deception is nearly discovered by Mr. Holley, the father of his daughter Beryl's new fiancé, Richard. The father happens to be the managing editor of the ''Evening Courier'' newspaper, and worried about his prospective in-laws. A series of misunderstandings lead to the mistaken belief that Ningle has been murdered by "Arty the artist", leading to a massive police manhunt. Ningle manages to stage a fake suicide for Arty, while he reappears and pretends he had amnesia for the past 48 hours. When Holley publishes an offer of a large sum to Arty by way of apology (having heard that he committed suicide), Ningle cannot resist "resurrecting" the artist, but Holley now suspects the truth. Ningle manages to outmanoeuvre him, however, and presents the money to Beryl and Richard, enabling them to marry despite the opposition of Richard's parents.

Cast

as Mr. Ningle *

as Mr. Holley *

as Mrs. Holley * Betty Sinclair as Mrs. Ningle * Tom Gill as Richard

olley Olley may refer to: People * Chris Olley Chris Olley is a Nottingham based musician and photographer. He was the lead singer and guitarist for Six By Seven and also the band's main creative influence. He studied art at Wakefield College (1990–9 ...

* Diana Calderwood as Beryl ingle* Bill Shine as Reporter *

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent, (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was a British actress of stage, film and television.Molly Weir Mary Weir (17 March 1910 – 28 November 2004), known as Molly Weir, was a Scottish actress. She appeared as the character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series '' Rentaghost''. She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom Weir. B ...

as Nellie * George Merritt as Police Inspector * Horace Kenney as Squeaker Man * Stanley Vilven as News Vendor * Gerald Rex as Map Seller *

Vi Kaley Vi Kaley, (19 November 1878, Lambeth - 1967, Marylebone), was a British actress. She was married to Alfred Artois. Partial filmography * '' Lloyd of the C.I.D.'' (1932) * ''A Royal Demand'' (1933) * ''Gay Old Dog'' (1935) * '' The Man Without a F ...

as Old Vera * Ben Williams as Policeman * Esme Beringer as Miss Prouncey * Kenneth Henry as City Man * Mackenzie Ward as Chelsea Artist *

as Policeman (uncredited)

Production

The film was made at

Nettlefold Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...

and on location around London. The film's director, Maclean Rogers, was experienced in

second feature A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

productions. It was distributed by Butcher's Film Service.

References

External links

* 1950 films 1950 comedy films British comedy films Films directed by Maclean Rogers Films set in London Films set in England Films shot at Nettlefold Studios British black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-UK-comedy-film-stub