Genevieve (1953)
Genevieve (1953)
Quirky little British comedy (in Color!) about two competitive men (John Gregson & Kenneth More) who are more obsessed with their near 50 year old vintage automobiles (one of which is the title character) than they are the beautiful women (Dinah Sheridan & Kay Kendall!) in their lives. The story takes place during an annual classic car club road rally from London to Brighton and back one weekend. In between there’s a dinner with dancing and an overnight stay. The cars keep breaking down making the 50+ mile trip take all day and there’s a minor love triangle situation. The men bet 100 pounds on the outcome of the return trip and then start sabotaging the other’s chances. The women are extremely tolerant and forgiving (unrealistically so?) of the men. Geoffrey Keen plays a motorcycle policeman they run across Reginald Beckwith a motorist they (literally) run into and Joyce Grenfell an unapologetic hotel proprietress. British Movietone News voice Leslie Mitchell appears as himself. Fun but not wonderful. Funny but not uproarious. Written by William Rose who received his first Oscar nomination; Larry Adler’s Score earned him his only Academy recognition. It was produced & directed by Henry Cornelius.
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