''Room for Two'' is a 1940 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

and starring

Frances Day Frances Day (born Frances Victoria Schenk; December 16, 1907April 29, 1984) was an American actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the UK in the 1930s. Her career began as a nightclub cabaret singer in New York City and London. ...

, Vic Oliver and

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'', '' ...

. The film was written by Gilbert Wakefield, based on his 1938 stage farce. The film's Italian setting was overtaken by events, as by the time of its release

Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...

had entered the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

against Britain.Chibnall & MacFarlane pp. 3–4

Plot summary

The story takes place in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, where a womanising Englishman Vic Oliver takes a strong interest in a married tourist who is played by

. Oliver disguises himself in drag and gets himself hired as the Days' maid. When Day's philandering husband, played by Basil Radford, shows up, the fun starts.

Cast

as Claire Spencer * Vic Oliver as Michael Brent *

Hilda Bayley Hilda Christabel Bailey (29 June 1888 – 26 May 1971) was a British theatre and film actress. On stage from 1913, she was in both stage and film versions of ''Carnival'' in 1918 and 1921, respectively; and in the controversial crime film ''Coca ...

as Madame Mignon *

as Hilda Westby *

Basil Radford Arthur Basil RadfordAdam Greaves, "Radford, (Arthur) Basil (1897–1952)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, May 201available online Retrieved 3 August 2020. (25 June 189720 October 1952) was an English chara ...

as Robert Spencer *

Rosamund Greenwood Rosamund Mary Von Pokorny (12 June 1907 – 15 July 1997) better known as Rosamund Greenwood, was a British actress who was active on screen from 1935 until 1990. Biography After training at London's Central School, she was on stage from the lat ...

as Grace * Magda Kun as Mimi * Leo De Pokorny as Hotel Manager * Gleniss Mortimer as Maria *

Victor Rietti Victor Rietti (29 February 1888 – 3 December 1963) was an Italian-born actor and director who emigrated to the United Kingdom. He became known through his work in television, especially through the many live television productions of the ...

as Gaston *

Maureen Pryor Maureen St John Pook (23 May 1922 – 5 May 1977), known professionally as Maureen Pryor, was an Irish-born English character actress who made stage, film, and television appearances. ''The Encyclopaedia of British Film'' noted, "she never playe ...

as Mary *

Andreas Malandrinos Andreas Malandrinos (; 14 November 1888, in Greece – 11 July 1970, in Surrey) was a Greek-born actor who started appearing in British films from 1909, until his death 61 years later in Surrey, England. He was fluent in six languages and used ...

as Gondolier

Critical reception

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

wrote, "when Day's philandering hubby Basil Radford comes home, the laughs start rolling in."

References

Bibliography

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

External links

The New York Times Movies
* 1940 films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Maurice Elvey 1940 comedy films British comedy films Films set in Venice British black-and-white films 1940s British films English-language comedy films {{1940s-UK-comedy-film-stub