''The Big Day'' is a 1960 black and white British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott (27 October 1923 – 5 August 2007) was an English television and film producer, television director, film director, film editor and screenwriter. He was one of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama i ...

and starring

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

Andrée Melly Andrée Melly (15 September 1932 – 31 January 2020) was an English actress. Career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and T.S. Eliot’s '' Murder in the Cathedral ...

and Colin Gordon. The big day approaches when a business boss must choose between three prospective candidates for a job.

Plot

Married 42 year old Victor Partridge is having an assignation with Nina, his 19 year old secretary. He discusses his desire for promotion. In the pub Harry Jackson discusses his wife's relationship to his boss, and also seeks promotion. At interview, Partridge, Jackson and Selkirk all vie for the sole position. The boss Mr Baker has to choose. Partridge, despite looking very mild-mannered, has a wife as well as a girlfriend! He is the company accountant, but the affair is leaked to the boss to ruin his chances of promotion. Jackson (who is Transport Manager) has been filing fake driver records and this is exposed to also ruin his hopes. Selkirk, the Sales Manager, seems the likely choice for the directorship in these circumstances. However, Baker calls him in to explain why he is not gettin the post... he is too ruthless. Surprisingly Partridge is given the job... Baker explains he is reliably dull, but insists that his secretary must go. Partridge in the new job finds it is a poisoned chalice, as he must work much harder for little more than his name on the company notepaper.

Cast

as Victor Partridge *

as Nina Wentworth * Colin Gordon as George Baker * Harry H. Corbett as Harry Jackson *

William Franklyn William Leo Franklyn (22 September 1925 – 31 October 2006) was a British actor, perhaps best known for voicing the "Schhh... You Know Who" adverts for Schweppes from 1965 to 1973. He also performed on stage, film, television and radio, ...

as Mr. T. Selkirk *

Susan Shaw Susan Shaw (29 August 192927 November 1978) was an English actress. Biography Shaw was born Patsy Sloots in West Norwood, London. She had wanted to become a dress designer and was working as a typist at the Ministry for Information when she di ...

as Phyllis Selkirk * Molly Urquhart as Mrs. Deeping - Baker's secretary *

Betty Marsden Betty Marsden (24 February 1919 – 18 July 1998) was an English comedy actress. She is particularly remembered as a cast member of the radio series '' Beyond Our Ken'' and ''Round the Horne''. Marsden also appeared in two Carry On films, ''Carr ...

as Mabel Jackson * Freda Bamford as Betty Partridge *

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 appe ...

as Madge Delaney, Selkirk's secretary *

Roddy McMillan Roddy McMillan OBE (23 March 1923 – 9 July 1979) was a Scottish actor and playwright, possibly most famous for his comedy role as Para Handy for BBC Scotland's television series, '' The Vital Spark''. He also played the lead role in Edw ...

as Bob *

Timothy Bateson Timothy Dingwall Bateson (3 April 1926 – 15 September 2009) was an English actor. Life and career Born in London, the son of solicitor Dingwall Latham Bateson and the great-nephew of rugby player Harold Dingwall Bateson, he was educated at ...

as Clerk * Anthony Bate as Driver *

Sabina Franklyn Elizabeth Sabina Franklyn (born 15 September 1954) is an English actress, and the daughter of William Franklyn and Margo Johns. Franklyn attended the independent Queen's Gate School and acted on stage with repertory theatres before her televi ...

as baby (uncredited) - (daughter of William Franklyn) * Derek Briggs as Mechanic

References

Bibliography

* Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. ''The British 'B' Film''. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.

External links

* 1960 films 1960 drama films 1960s business films British drama films British black-and-white films Films directed by Peter Graham Scott Films scored by Clifton Parker 1960s English-language films 1960s British films {{1960s-UK-film-stub