''Those People Next Door'' is a 1953 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 John Harlow and starring Jack Warner,

Charles Victor Charles Victor (10 February 1896 – 23 December 1965) was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles between 1931 and 1965. He was born Charles Victor Harvey. Born in Southport, Lancashire, England, Victor was a fourth- ...

and

Marjorie Rhodes Marjorie Rhodes (9 April 1897 – 4 July 1979) was a British actress. She was born Millicent Wise in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. Career One of her better-known roles was as Lucy Fitton, the mother in Bill Naughton's pl ...

. It was based on the play ''Wearing the Pants'' by Zelda Davees.

Plot

In Second World War era Britain, working-class Sam Twigg and his wife Mary are raising their family in the shadow of the Blitz. Their next door neighbours Joe and Emma practically live in the Twiggs' house, borrowing cups of sugar or using their

Anderson shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but ...

. Controversy arises when Sam's pretty daughter Anne becomes romantically involved with RAF officer Victor Stevens. There is disapproval from Victor's wealthy parents, Sir Andrew and Lady Stevens, who object to the match on grounds of class. Lady Stevens even offers money to the Twigg family to call off the relationship, which enrages father Sam. However, when RAF man Victor is reportedly shot down in action, parental attitudes soften.

Cast

* Jack Warner as Sam Twigg *

as Joe Higgins *

as Mary Twigg *

Gladys Henson Gladys Hilda Barbara Kate Henson (née Gunn; 27 September 1897 – 21 December 1982) was an Irish actress whose career lasted from 1932 to 1976 and included roles on stage, radio, films and television series. Among her most notable films wer ...

as Emma Higgins *

Patricia Cutts Patricia Cutts (20 July 1926 – 6 September 1974)Patricia Cu ...

as Anne Twigg *

Garry Marsh Garry Marsh (21 May 1902 – 6 March 1981) was an English stage and film actor. Biography Born Leslie March Gerahty on 21 May 1902 in St Margarets, Middlesex, his parents were George and Laura. His elder brothers were the author Digby George ...

as Sir Andrew Stevens * Jimmy James as drunk *

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

as Bob Twigg *

Grace Arnold Grace Arnold (19 September 1894 – 26 February 1979) was an England, English actress. Selected filmography * ''Guilt (1931 film), Guilt'' (1931) * ''Men Without Honour'' (1939) - Mrs. Hardy * ''Crimes at the Dark House'' (1940) - Maid (uncred ...

as Lady Stevens *

Norah Gorsen Norah Ethel Gaussen (22 November 1931 – 15 April 2020), better known as Norah Gorsen, was a British actress. Gorsen was born in Weymouth, Dorset, on 22 November 1931. Her first big role was on stage as Wendy in a 1953 production of ''Peter Pan' ...

as Margaret Twigg * Geoffrey Sumner as Flight Lieutenant Claude Kimberley * Peter Forbes-Robertson as Victor Stevens * Eli Woods as Eli

Critical reception

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 ...

'' said "Interspersed with ancient music hall jokes, this film is also often in bad taste. Extremely poor." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' said "Down-to-earth, disarmingly ingenuous British low-life comedy drama ... The picture is a trifle class-conscious during its penultimate '"posh" sequences, but its domestic touches and recreation of conditions during the worst of the bombing periods are very true to life and produce both laughs and tears. Jack Warner typifies all that is best in the British breadwinner as Sam, and Charles Victor is effective." According to ''

Sky Movies Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema on ...

'', which gives the film three out of five stars, "The

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the Uni ...

had unexpectedly boosted its bank balance with comedies about the cockney Hugget family (starring Jack Warner and

Kathleen Harrison Kathleen Harrison (23 February 1892 – 7 December 1995) was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett (opposite Jack Warner and Petula Clark) in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working-cla ...

) in post-war years, but decided to end the series after four films. Unconvinced that this vein of comedy had been mined out, producer Tom Blakeley's Manchester-based film unit, which had made

Frank Randle Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. A contemporary of fellow Lancashire, Lancastrians George Formby, Jr., George Formby and Gracie Field ...

comedies in the war years, took an old play set in 1941, hired Jack Warner and a good cast, and let rip. Unfortunately, the characters were too unsympathetic and the piece still ran like a play, but the same distributors had better luck a couple of years later when they reunited Warner with Kathleen Harrison in ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

956 Year 956 ( CMLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Summer – Emperor Constantine VII appoints Nikephoros Phokas to commander of the Byzantine field army (''Domestic o ...

" In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "poor", writing: "The Huggett comedy vein mined out; poor and stagey, with dislikeable characters."

References

External links

* 1953 films 1953 comedy films Films directed by John Harlow British comedy films British black-and-white films Films shot in Greater Manchester 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-UK-comedy-film-stub