''The Crowded Day'' is a 1954 British

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

John Guillermin John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a French-British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big-budget, action-adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include ''I Was Monty ...

and starring John Gregson, Joan Rice, Cyril Raymond and Josephine Griffin. The film follows a group of shopgirls working in Bunting and Hobbs, a

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

, during the Christmas shopping season. It was an attempt by Adelphi Films to move into bigger budgeted films. It was the last movie Guillermin directed for the company.The Crowded Day/Song of Paris Johnston, Trevor. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 21, Iss. 4, (Apr 2011): 85. It was released in the United States under the title ''Shop Spoiled''.

Plot

The Christmas holidays are approaching, and a group of shopgirls head to their jobs at Bunting and Hobbs, a busy London department store. Peggy French ( Joan Rice) is upset at her shopman fiance, Leslie Randall ( John Gregson), because he refuses to sell his vintage car, "Bessie", that takes up all of his time and money. Peggy notes that he went to a car club meeting the previous night instead of taking her on a date, that he spends on the car instead of saving so they can get married, and that he has not even bought her an engagement ring. As they head into their respective jobs in the furnishings and estates departments, they quarrel and Peggy breaks off their engagement. She also refuses to let Leslie take her to the staff Christmas party that night and leads him to believe that she has been dating the kind but very proper personnel manager, Philip Stanton ( Cyril Raymond). In reality, although Mr Stanton is charmed by Peggy, he is not interested in fraternizing with any of the shopgirls as that is improper for a manager and could cost him his job. Leslie attempts to win Peggy back, but his efforts get him reported by Peggy's supervisor Mr Preedy, who has been making romantic overtures to Peggy despite being a married man and sees Leslie as unwelcome competition for her affections. Leslie also gets reported by his own supervisor after Leslie botches his assignment of showing a house to friends of the store owner, Mr Bunting, because he is distracted by trying to make up with Peggy. Mr Stanton, looking through Leslie's personnel file, sees a report he wrote about promotions and thinks he might transfer Leslie to a higher-paying position in the publicity department. Mr Stanton also gives Leslie's report to Mr Bunting, saying it contains new and useful ideas. Leslie later informs Mr Stanton that he took the ideas for the report out of a book written by Mr Bunting, causing Mr Stanton to worry that he himself will now be sacked for repeating Mr Bunting's own ideas back to him. Another shopgirl, Yvonne Pascoe ( Josephine Griffin), is worried and ill at work. She tells Peggy that she urgently needs to get in touch with her fiance, Michael Blayburn, who left his mother's home two months ago to look for a job so that he could marry Yvonne. Yvonne has not heard from Michael since he left, and when she tries to telephone his wealthy mother to find out his whereabouts, she is rebuffed. Peggy suggests Yvonne go visit Mrs Blayburn at her home during Yvonne's noontime break from the cosmetics counter. Yvonne does this, but Mrs Blayburn is cold to her and tells her Michael is tired of her and doesn't want to see her or hear from her. When Yvonne confesses she is pregnant with Michael's baby, Mrs Blayburn becomes angry, calls her a "slut" and orders her out of the house. Yvonne is late getting back to work and is reported by Moira, who is annoyed at having to work all alone at the busy cosmetics counter. Mr Stanton meets with Yvonne, learns she is pregnant, and tells her she will have to stop working, although she can have her job back after the baby is born and put up for adoption. He suggests Yvonne visit the welfare office in the meantime, since she has no other family to turn to. Yvonne returns to the cosmetics counter, where she pockets a prescription intended for a customer that contains strychnine and leaves the store. In her hurry to leave, she fails to take an urgent note that a young man left for her at the counter; the note falls on the floor and is trampled by shoppers. At the staff Christmas party that night, Peggy tries to attach herself to Mr Stanton, interrupting his efforts to socialize with Mr Bunting's homely daughter. Leslie then appears and Mr Bunting calls him over and praises him on his fine report, putting Leslie on track for the well-paying publicity department job. Leslie pays Peggy back for her deception by telling Mr Bunting that he heard Peggy and Mr Stanton were engaged, causing Mr Bunting's daughter to burst into tears. After the party, Peggy learns that Leslie has sold his old car, thus proving that he cares more about her than the car. She happily reunites with him, only to find he has bought an even older car. Meanwhile, shopgirl Suzy (

Vera Day Vera Day (born 4 August 1935) is an English film and television actress. She was born in London just before the war and grew up in Forest Gate, East London. Early career Leaving school at 15, she had various jobs before finding employment in ...

), who dreams of being a film actress, is seduced after the party by her date, a chauffeur who has pretended to be a director and promised her a screen test. Alice, another shopgirl who could not get a date for the party, hires a paid male escort, only to have him tell her at the end of the evening he enjoyed going out with her and the date is free of charge. Eve Carter, a beautiful but mysterious model at the store, is shown to be secretly happily married to (and, it is implied, financially supporting) a man using a wheelchair. She hides her marriage by taking off her wedding ring at work so she will not lose her job. Yvonne does not attend the party, but wanders the dark streets of London contemplating suicide. At one point she orders tea from a stall and starts to take the strychnine pills, but is interrupted by the menacing sexual advances of a customer at the stall. He chases her through the streets until she finally escapes into a church, where she collapses in tears, but decides not to kill herself. As she walks home past Bunting and Hobbs, she throws the pills into a waste bin. The next morning, the watchman (

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

) finds the note that Yvonne never received, crumpled on the floor. It is from Michael, telling Yvonne that he has got a job, asking her to marry him and saying he will call her the next day.

Cast

Opening credits

* John Gregson * Joan Rice *

Freda Jackson Freda Maud Jackson (29 December 1907 – 20 October 1990) was an English stage actress who also worked in film and television. Early life and career Jackson was born in Nottingham in 1907. She made her stage debut on 1 January 1934 at the ...

* Patricia Marmont *''with'' Josephine Griffin * Sonia Holm *

Patricia Plunkett Patricia Ruth Plunkett (17 December 1926 – 13 October 1974) was an English actress, born to an Australian WW1 soldier, Captain Gunning Francis Plunkett, and Alice Park. Born in Streatham, London, she trained at RADA and had an early stage hit ...

* Rachel Roberts *

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

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 ...

* Edward Chapman * Cyril Raymond *

Richard Wattis Richard Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Richard Cameron Wattis was born on 25 February 1912 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the ...

* Sidney James * Brian Oulton * Arthur Hill

End credits

SHOPGIRLS * Joan Rice as Peggy * Josephine Griffin as Yvonne *

as Mrs. Morgan * Patricia Marmont as Eve *

as Alice * Sonia Holm as Moira *

as Suzy * Rachel Roberts as Maggie *

Joan Hickson Joan Bogle Hickson, OBE (5 August 1906 – 17 October 1998) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She was known for her role as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series ''Miss Marple''. She also narrated a number ...

as Mrs. Jones *

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 Mr. Stanton's Secretary *

Dandy Nichols Dandy Nichols (born Daisy Sander; 21 May 1907 – 6 February 1986) was an English actress best known for her role as Else Garnett, the long-suffering wife of the character Alf Garnett who was a parody of a working class Tory, in the BBC s ...

as Charwoman SHOPMEN * John Gregson as Leslie * Edward Chapman as Mr. Bunting * Cyril Raymond as Philip Stanton *

as Mr. Christopher * Brian Oulton as Mr. Preedy *

Kynaston Reeves Philip Arthur Reeves (29 May 18935 December 1971), known professionally as Kynaston Reeves, was an English character actor who appeared in numerous films and many television plays and series. Early life Reeves was born in London on 29 May 1893 ...

as Mr. Ronson *

Roddy Hughes Rhodri Henry Hughes (19 June 1891 – 22 February 1970) was a Welsh theatre, film and television actor, who appeared in over 80 films between 1932 and 1961. Selected filmography * ''Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' (1932) * '' Reunion'' (1932) * '' Say ...

as Chemist * Hal Osmond as Liftman *

Oscar Quitak Oscar Morris Quitak (born 10 March 1926) is a British stage, film and television actor. Quitak's stage work includes roles at the Old Vic and the National Theatre; as well as the original West End and Broadway productions of the musical '' Pi ...

as Youth * Sidney James as Nightwatchman CUSTOMERS *

Thora Hird Dame Thora Hird (28 May 1911 – 15 March 2003) was an English actress and comedian, presenter and writer. In a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in more than 100 film and television roles, becoming a household name and a Briti ...

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent, (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was a British actress of stage, film and television.Nora Nicholson Nora Nicholson (7 December 1887 – 18 September 1973) was an English actress. Known for her portrayal of character roles, she achieved her greatest success in the later years of her career. She played in classics by Shakespeare and Chekhov and ...

* Moorea Hastings *

Prunella Scales Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales (''née'' Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is an English former actress, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy '' Fawlty Towers'', her nomination for a ...

* Nuna Davey *

Mignon O'Doherty Mignon O'Doherty (1890 – 1961) was an Australian actress who worked in British theatre, film and television. O'Doherty was born in Brisbane, the daughter of Dr. Edward O’Doherty and Isabel Maud French. She was the granddaughter of Young Ir ...

OTHERS *

as Alex * Mary Hinton as Mrs. Blayburn *

Jill Dixon Jill Dixon (born 1935) is an English actress. Personal life and career Jill Dixon was born in England in 1935. She made her debut as an actress at the age of three, appearing as a water nymph at the London Hippodrome. Although she appeared in se ...

as Maid * Peter Hammond as Michael Blayburn * Doris Yorke as Mrs. Bunting * Dorothy Gordon as Miss Bunting * George Woodbridge as Mr. Bunting's Friend *

Totti Truman Taylor Totti Truman Taylor, born Dorothy Leah Truman (7 September 1915 – 5 March 1981), was a British actress. Her mother’s 2nd husband’s surname was Taylor, and this is where her stage name came from. In 1953, she played Aunt Sally in the BBC tele ...

as The Wife * Michael Goodliffe as Eve's Husband * Laurie Maine as Coffee Stall Customer * Herbert C. Walton as The Waiter * Arthur Hill as Alice's Escort *

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 Studio Official

Production

In the mid-1950s, Adelphi Films productions were usually considered 'B' pictures that were booked by theatres only as support for main features, or at selected provincial locations. Founder Arthur Dent planned ''The Crowded Day'' as a high-quality big-budget feature in hopes of convincing theatres, particularly the

Odeon Cinemas Odeon, stylised as ODEON, is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsidiary of AMC Theatres. It uses the famous name ...

and

ABC Cinemas ABC Cinemas (Associated British Cinemas) was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), it operated between the 1930s and the 1980s. The brand name was reused in ...

, to book the film nationwide throughout the UK as a main feature ('A' picture). To that end, Adelphi subcontracted the popular stars John Gregson and Joan Rice from the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distrib ...

at significant expense, and invested in other aspects of the film. They commissioned a script originally called ''Shop Soiled''. The film was shot at

Nettlefold Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...

department store Bourne & Hollingsworth (renamed "Bunton and Hobbs" for the film) was the setting for the exterior store shots, and also some interior shots as producer David Dent arranged one day's shooting at the store for free. The Tower House was used for exterior shots of Mrs Blayburn's mansion. The exterior and interior church scenes were filmed at

St Stephen's Church, Westbourne Park St Stephen's Church, Westbourne Park, is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England in London. History St Stephen's Church dates from 1856. It was designed by the architect brothers Frederick John and Horace Francis, who designed ...

.Tunstill, et al., at p
2
The film's target audience was women. The storyline involving Yvonne, the unmarried, pregnant shopgirl who contemplates suicide, was considered risque for its time, causing the film to be advertised as "not suitable for children". ''The Crowded Day'' marked the first production in which Sid James and Vera Day both appeared. The two would appear together in many more film and television productions over the next decade.

Reception

According to British Film Institute (BFI) fiction film curator Vic Pratt, critics were generally "impressed" with the film, especially with Guillermin's direction, although some "smirked" at the film's handling of the unwed pregnancy and suicide storyline. However, both Odeon and ABC refused to book it as a first feature due to conflicts with Arthur Dent. In November 1954 it was partially released at a small number of Odeons, but lacking a full circuit release, was unable to recoup its costs. ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' called it "the usual concoction of confected stories." ''Sight and Sound'' thought the film produced "evidence of" Guillermin's "gift (at least during the pre-1965 British years of his career) for bringing fluidly expressive technique to bear on seemingly workaday genre material... Talbot Rothwell's script combines light romantic comedy and engaged social comment (especially sympathetic towards a single sales assistant whose unwanted pregnancy means inevitable redundancy) with a finesse and potency missing from his subsequent Carry On assignments. Guillermin nimbly picks his way through the shifts in tone, while a quality cast... proves impeccable throughout. Beneath the seemingly cosy veneer there's a grown-up drama here about real people and stalled expectations in a country slowly emerging from austerity, and it certainly makes good on Adelphi's ambitions to match the output from Ealing or Rank in quality terms." ''Filmink'' called it "a decent “three girls” movie... it juggles a number of plots with skill, one of the storylines in particular being particularly dark: Josephine Griffin plays a single girl who gets pregnant, is called a slut, and is almost raped; when her boss discovers she’s in the family way, he tells her that she’ll have to go away and gives her a home where she can have the baby and says she can have her job back after she’s given up her child for adoption."

DVD release

In February 2011, BFI Video released ''The Crowded Day'' on DVD and Blu-ray, along with the Guillermin-directed film '' Song of Paris'', as "Adelphi Collection Vol. 3".

References

External links

*
The Crowded Day
at Letterbox DVD
The Crowded Day
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of A ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crowded Day, The 1954 films 1950s Christmas films 1950s Christmas comedy-drama films British Christmas comedy-drama films 1950s English-language films Films directed by John Guillermin Films set in department stores Films shot at Nettlefold Studios British pregnancy films Films with screenplays by Talbot Rothwell Films with screenplays by John Paddy Carstairs Films set in London Films shot in London 1950s pregnancy films British black-and-white films 1950s British films