''The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss'' is a 1936 British

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

film directed by

Alfred Zeisler Alfred Zeisler (September 26, 1892 – March 1, 1985) was an American-born German film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He produced 29 films between 1927 and 1936. He also directed 16 films between 1924 and 1949. Selected filmogr ...

and starring

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

. It is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sa ...

of the 1920 film ''

The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss ''The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss'' is a 1920 British silent comedy film directed by and starring Henry Edwards. As of August 2010, the film is listed as one of the British Film Institute's " 75 Most Wanted" lost films. The film was r ...

'', based on ''The Curious Quest'', a 1919 novel by

E. Phillips Oppenheim Edward Phillips Oppenheim (22 October 1866 – 3 February 1946) was an English novelist, a prolific writer of best-selling genre fiction, featuring glamorous characters, international intrigue and fast action. Notably easy to read, they were vie ...

. The film was issued in the United States in 1937 under the title ''The Amazing Adventure'' (and subsequently ''Romance and Riches''), but edited down to 62 minutes from the reputed original UK running time of 80 minutes. All currently circulating copies are of the US edit, but the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

has several archive prints of 77 minutes in length. The film is often believed to be in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

and appears on many budget VHS and DVD releases, but as director

did not die until 1985, UK

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

subsists until the end of 2055. As a non-US film still under copyright in its country of origin on 1 January 1996, it is protected in the US for 95 years after publication, so to the end of 2031.

Plot

In London, rich, idle socialite Ernest Bliss (

) feels out of sorts for no discernible reason. He sees a doctor, Sir James Aldroyd, who bluntly informs him that he is suffering from too much money, and that he would be cured if he lived for a year on a few pounds per week. Bliss is so insulted that he makes a bet for £50,000 with Sir James that he can survive for a year, supporting himself solely on whatever he earns and not touching his inherited millions. He takes the

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ( ...

Stepney Green Stepney Green Park is a park in Stepney, Tower Hamlets, London. It is a remnant of a larger area of common land. It was formerly known as Mile End Green. A Crossrail construction site occupies part of the green, with Stepney Green cavern ...

and rents an attic room. He falls behind on the rent, but landlady Mrs. Heath is sympathetic to his plight. Finally, despite having no experience, he persuades Mr. Masters to give him a job selling Alpha stoves. After three weeks, he has not made a single sale, and Frances Clayton (

Mary Brian Mary Brian (born Louise Byrdie Dantzler, February 17, 1906 – December 30, 2002) was an American actress who made the transition from silent films to sound films. Early life Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas, the daughter of Taurrence J. ...

), Masters' secretary, tells Bliss that the company, in which Masters has invested his life savings, is in danger of closing down. Then Bliss comes up with an idea to promote the product. He takes £500 of his own money - but not for his own benefit, so the bet is still on - and offers free meals cooked on the stoves to the general public. A wholesale buyer places a trial order for 100 stoves, with the prospect of purchasing 40,000 a year if things work out. Masters is delighted and offers Bliss a partnership, but Bliss instead resigns. After he finds another job, Bliss takes Frances to dinner. As they dance, she informs him that she too is leaving Masters; he offered her a partnership too, but of the matrimonial kind. Late one night, Dr. Alroyd engages a car and a chauffeur for a medical emergency. That chauffeur turns out to be Bliss. After Bliss drives the doctor back to Harley Street, Bliss informs him that almost seven months have elapsed on their bet. Dorrington, another customer, asks him to come to 11 Regents Park Gate, flat 6, which happens to be Bliss's place. Bliss's valet Clowes, with too much time on his hands, lost heavily betting on the

dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relativ ...

and let the flat to Dorrington. Dorrington had been practicing forging Bliss's signature and had noticed the "resemblance" between the chauffeur and the absent owner so wants the chauffeur to cash a cheque for £30,000 in return for a third share. Bliss gets the cashier to give him blank pieces of paper in an envelope and returns to his flat. He reveals who he is to Dorrington and his henchman, but they do not believe him. In the ensuing fight, Dorrington slips away with the worthless envelope while Bliss struggles with the henchman. Finally a drunk Clowes emerges and hits the henchman with a bottle. Afterward, Bliss forgives his servant. Frances gets a job with Mr. Montague; he makes it clear that he wants more than a secretary, but she needs the work. When she tells Bliss that Montague wants her to do some work outside the office at night, Bliss disables Montague's car and has her hire him to take them to Montague's rendezvous. After confirming that Montague's intentions are not honourable, he takes Frances away. When his boss sacks him, he is unconcerned, but then the manager discharges mechanic Bill Bronson for standing up for him, so Bliss buys the company and orders that the manager be fired and replaced by Bill. He persuades Frances to accept his marriage proposal. Then her mother arrives with terrible news; Frances's sister will die unless she is taken to a winter resort in Switzerland. In desperation, Frances decides to marry Masters for the money she needs. She moves without informing Bliss. He finally tracks her down and, after learning why she broke up with him, fixes everything and marries her himself.

Cast

as Ernest Bliss *

as Frances Clayton *

Peter Gawthorne Peter Gawthorne (1 September 1884 – 17 March 1962) was an Anglo-Irish actor, probably best known for his roles in the films of Will Hay and other popular British comedians of the 1930s and 1940s. Gawthorne was one of Britain's most called-up ...

as Sir James Alroyd * Henry Kendall as Lord Honiton *

Leon M. Lion Leon Marks Lion (12 March 1879 – 28 March 1947) was an English stage and film actor, playwright, theatrical director and producer. He starred in Joseph Jefferson Farjeon's 1925 hit play ''Number 17 (play), Number 17'' as well as its subsequent ...

as Dorrington * John Turnbull as Masters * Arthur Hardy as Crawley *

Iris Ashley Iris Ashley (1909–1994) was an Irish-born British stage and film actress. She was born Iris Blanche Stafford Northcote in Trellis Cottage, Rushbrooke, Queenstown (now Cobh), County Cork to Captain Leonard Augustus Stafford Northcote and Lilia ...

as Clare *

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 ...

as The Buyer *

Andreas Malandrinos Andreas Malandrinos ( el, Ανδρέας Μαλανδρίνος; 14 November 1888, in Greece – 11 July 1970, in Surrey) was a Greek-born actor who started appearing in British films from 1930, until his death 40 years later in Surrey, England ...

as Giuseppi *

Alfred Wellesley Alfred Wellesley (25 July 1872 – 7 December 1943) was an English stage and film actor.British Film Institute websiteAlfred Wellesley /ref> Partial filmography * '' The Twelve Pound Look'' (1920) * '' A Warm Corner'' (1930) * ''The New Hotel'' ...

as Montague * Marie Wright as Mrs. Heath *Buena Bent as Mrs. Mott *

Charles Farrell Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...

as Scales *Quinton McPherson as Clowes (as Quinton MacPherson) *

Hal Gordon Hal Gordon (1894–1946) was a British film actor. A character actor, he appeared in over 90 films in both comic and straight roles. He started off as a lawyer's clerk but finding it dull he decided on the stage, making his music hall debut in ...

as Bill Bronson

Critical reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' thought it "a bit old-fashioned and present-day filmgoers may regard it as implausible. Coincidences are highly improbable, and the whole thing, despite excellent direction and acting, moves at a pace that demands a large measure of cutting before being offered to the general public... Cary Grant looks and acts the part with deft characterization. He secures laughs easily and apparently without effort. Mary Brian plays the role of the typist with a metallic harshness which would be more in keeping with the gold-digger. One expects more feminine softness and sympathy from such a role. Most of the other actors and actresses are adequate, and production details are very good". In his book ''British Popular Films 1929-1939: The Cinema of Reassurance'', Stephen Shafer notes that the plot was intended to appeal to working-class filmgoers, as it gave over the message that their lives were more fulfilling than those of millionaires. Shafer writes:

Obviously, the thrust of ''The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss'' implied that the "earnest bliss", suggested by the pun in the title, which the protagonist sought could be obtained by hard work, generosity, and self-sacrifice, all concepts with which working-class individuals in real life might well be familiar. Clearly, Bliss's happiness was to be derived from people rather than money which had created his isolation as a millionaire and left him depressed. ... the subtle theme of the feature was that the ordinary moviegoer ought to be grateful in some respects for the simple pleasures in life which he could enjoy but which the wealthy ordinarily did not experience.

References

External links

*
British Film Institute page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amazing Quest Of Ernest Bliss, The 1936 films 1936 romantic comedy films British romantic comedy films United Artists films British black-and-white films Remakes of British films Sound film remakes of silent films Films based on works by E. Phillips Oppenheim Films directed by Alfred Zeisler Films set in London Films shot at Station Road Studios, Elstree Films shot at British International Pictures Studios 1930s English-language films 1930s British films Films with screenplays by John L. Balderston