''Easy Money'' is a 1948 British

satirical film Satire is a television and film film genre, genre in the fictional, mockumentary, pseudo-fictional, or biographical film, semi-fictional category that employs satire, satirical techniques. Definition and description Film or television satire may ...

directed by

Bernard Knowles Bernard Knowles (20 February 1900 – 12 February 1975) was an English film director, producer, cinematographer and screenwriter. Born in Manchester, Knowles worked with Alfred Hitchcock on numerous occasions before the director emigrated to H ...

and starring

Greta Gynt Greta Gynt (born Margrethe Woxholt; 15 November 1916 – 2 April 2000) was a Norwegian dancer and actress. She is remembered for her starring roles in the British classic films '' The Dark Eyes of London'', '' Mr. Emmanuel'', ''Take My Life'', '' ...

Dennis Price Dennistoun John Franklyn Rose Price (23 June 1915 – 6 October 1973) was an English actor. He played Louis Mazzini in the Ealing Studios film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1949) and the omnicompetent valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptation ...

and Jack Warner. It was written by Muriel and

Sydney Box Frank Sydney Box (29 April 1907 – 25 May 1983) was a British film producer and screenwriter, and brother of British film producer Betty Box. In 1940, he founded the documentary film company Verity Films with Jay Lewis. He produced and co- ...

, based on the 1948 play of the same title by

Arnold Ridley William Arnold Ridley (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, known early in his career for writing the 1925 play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life for the British television sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1968–77 ...

. It was released by

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, east London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The co ...

. The film comprises four tales about the effect a major

football pools In the United Kingdom, the football pools, often referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of association football matches taking place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, and may enc ...

win has in four different situations in the post-war period.

Plot

In the first story, a comedy, a content suburban family is turned into an unhappy lot by their various reactions to a win on the football pools. When matters reach a point where they begin wishing that they had never won the money, the youngest daughter announces that in fact she forgot to post their entry, and they all regain their previously happy lives. But then it is discovered that it was a previous entry she had forgotten to post and the winning coupon was mailed, and they decide that they have learned a lesson and resolve not to let the money ruin their happiness. In the second, a mild-mannered clerk with a domineering wife wins a large amount but becomes concerned when his wife insists he quit his mundane job. He finds the prospect of having to tell his employer that he is resigning too daunting, so he plots with a friend that he will fake illness as a way of leaving, but the deceit proves so taxing that he suffers a heart attack. The third is a crime caper involving a part-time coupon checker and his

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

girlfriend who devise a scheme to embezzle the winning pot. The final episode, another comedy, concerns a disillusioned double-bass player who after a large win on the pools discovers he misses his friends in the orchestra he left, so he becomes its benefactor, subject to the condition that the double-bass section is given unusual prominence in the orchestral lineup.

Cast

as Pat Parsons *

as Joe Henty * Jack Warner as Philip Stafford *

Mervyn Johns David Mervyn Johns (18 February 18996 September 1992) was a Welsh stage, film and television actor who became a fixture of British films during the Second World War. Johns appeared extensively on screen and stage with over 100 credits between 1 ...

as Herbert Atkins *

Marjorie Fielding Doris Marjorie Fielding (known as Marjorie) (17 February 1890, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire – 28 December 1956, in London) was a British stage and film actress. Marjorie Fielding was the second daughter of John & Ellen Fielding (née Miles). ...

as Ruth Stafford * Yvonne Owen as Carol Stafford *

Jack Watling Jack Stanley Watling (13 January 1923 – 22 May 2001) was an English actor. Life and career Watling was born 13 January 1923 in Chingford, Essex, England. The son of a travelling scrap metal dealer, Watling trained at the Italia Conti Academy ...

as Dennis Stafford *

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

as Jackie Stafford *

Mabel Constanduros Mabel Constanduros (' Tilling; 29 March 1880 – 8 February 1957) was an English actress, screenwriter and BBC Radio personality. She gained public notice playing Mrs.Buggins on the radio programme ''The Buggins Family'', which ran from 1928 to ...

as Grandma Stafford *

David Tomlinson David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson (7 May 1917 – 24 June 2000) was an English stage, film and television actor, singer and comedian. Having been described as both a leading man and a character actor, he is primarily remembered for his roles wit ...

as Martin Latham *

Maurice Denham William Maurice Denham (23 December 1909 – 24 July 2002) was an English actor who appeared in over 100 films and television programmes in his long career. Early life Denham was born on 23 December 1909 in Beckenham, Kent, the son of Eleanor ...

as Detective-Inspector Kirby * Joan Young as Agnes Watkins * Gordon McLeod as Cameron * Grey Blake as Wilson * Ernest Butcher as Clerk * Bill Owen as Mr. Lee * Hugh Pryse as Martin *

Jack Raine Thomas Foster "Jack" Raine (18 May 1897 – 30 May 1979) was an English stage, television and film actor. Career He was a leading man of the British cinema in the late twenties and early thirties in such films as '' The Hate Ship'' (1929), ...

as Managing Director * Richard Molinas as Johnny *

Edward Rigby Edward Coke MC (5 February 1879 – 5 April 1951), known professionally as Edward Rigby, was a British character actor. Early life Rigby was born at Ashford, Kent, England, the second son of Dr William Harriott Coke and his wife, Mary Elizabe ...

as Edward "Teddy" Ball *

Guy Rolfe Guy Rolfe (born Edwin Arthur Rolfe, 27 December 1911 – 19 October 2003) was a British character actor. He was best known for portraying villains. Early life Born in Kilburn, London, Edwin Arthur "Guy" Rolfe was descended from Thomas Rolfe, ...

as Archie *

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University, but g ...

as Mr. Cyprus * Frank Cellier as Director of Orchestra * John Blythe as Waiter

Reception

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "On the whole, the film is quite good propaganda for football pools, but it is only very moderate entertainment. For the first two stories, there is music around the Episodes (i.e. accompanying the commentary), not in them. In Episodes 3 and 4, however, there is background music in addition to the necessary featured music – a bad plan, perhaps, but well carried out."

Box office

The film earned producer's receipts of £98,600 in the UK and £20,400 overseas. According to Rank's own records the film had made a profit of £2,200 for the company by December 1949.Chapman p 70

References

''Gainsborough Melodrama'', edited by Sue Aspinall and Robert Murphy, published by the

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

, London, 1983

External links

* {{Bernard Knowles 1948 films British black-and-white films British crime comedy films Gainsborough Pictures films Films directed by Bernard Knowles 1940s crime comedy films Films with screenplays by Muriel Box Films with screenplays by Sydney Box British anthology films 1940s satirical films 1948 comedy films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films English-language crime comedy films