Genevieve (1953)

My favourite scenes? At their Brighton hotel (Joyce Grenfell is wonderful) and when Rosalind plays her two numbers on the trumpet! One solitary scene adds so much to this movie, and that is towards the end when the elderly man who loves Darracqs speaks to Alan (without first having been introduced!).

Alan & Wendy McKim, Ambrose Claverhouse & Rosalind Peters are two classic car enthusiast couples taking part in the annual London to Brighton car rally. For the return trip the gentlemen enter into a friendly wager to see who can reach Westminster Bridge first, but what started out as friendly rivalry turns into a very intense contest indeed.I think what stands out the most in Genevieve {Genevieve being the name of the McKim's car} is the wonderful screenplay from William Rose. Full of British sensibilities and sexual tension, Genevieve ranks as one of the best British films from the 50s. Both couples seem poles apart but the men are bound by a machismo sensibility, whilst the women are both astutely charming in loyalty with a bullish awareness of the situation. John Gregson, Dinah Sheridan, Kenneth More and Kay Kendall are all excellent in the lead roles, the colour booms out from the screen, and Larry Adler's harmonica backed score is a perfect musical delight.Charming, breezy, and a British comedy classic, Genevieve really is a spiffing film for any day of the week. 9/10

Genevieve is a great nostalgic movie and was always meant to be.However at the time it was made in 1953, the only nostalgic value intended was the featured vintage motor cars themselves.But now 54 years later and with the passing of time, the contemporary setting of an England now long since gone, has attained a nostalgic value of its own, doubling the nostalgia theme and making this film more interesting and enjoyable than ever.John Gregson and Kenneth More play vintage car owners all set to make their annual pilgrimage to Brighton in the London to Brighton Antique Car Rally. With them on this eventful trip is Gregson's wife played by Dinah Sheriden and More's latest bit of squeeze, a hard drinking, trumpet playing upper crust fashion model played by Kay Kendall.Although the Gregson and More characters are in essence best friends, the yearly car rally brings out in them an overwhelming and bitter rivalry on the subject of who's museum piece car is better.Taunts, break downs, gloats and insults are exchanged between the two all the way down to Brighton building up the tension between them which finally explodes the following day on their return run, when Gregson finally pushed to the limit bets an astronomical (for it's day) £100, that Genevieve, his 1904 Darracq can beat More's 1904 Spyker back to London.Then the action turns hilariously nasty as sabotage, double crossings and dirty dealings take a hand, as each is determined to beat the other to Westminster Bridge by hook or by crook.This is a contradiction of the word race as speed does not play a factor at all, as both cars are so old and out of condition that between the frequent breakdowns the most they can do is about 50 mph.It needs to be said however that although, the plot, the dialogue, the acting and the directing are faultless, there is only one star of this entire film and that is the great English country side.Village pubs, Village Greens, country life and clean, clear uncongested roads, all now practically a thing of the past are once again brought to life in glorious Technicolour. A cinematic trip back to a bygone age.Its also worthy of note that the attitude of people back then was a lot better too. Special notice was made to the two motorcycle Policemen, who do not overreact to a race being held on a public highway, a fight breaking out on a village green and are only slightly stern when a false crime is reported. They even manage to show sympathy and mercy in the right situation. Such a refreshing change seeing that how today you can get hauled off to prison for being armed with a cigarette with intent to smoke. How things have changed.A great film and a great British Comedy.

This is one of those films I can just watch time and time again, as indeed we did this evening. It must be 25 years since I first saw Genevieve as an kid; I daren't guess how many times I've seen it since. But every time it still works its magic.It's a comedy, but a gentle one - there's a few real belly laughs to be had, but mostly I'm left with a beatific smile of pure pleasure throughout. The one exception is the scene where dear old Arthur Wontner stops the McKims to admire Genevieve at a crucial point in proceedings; that scene has me welling up with tears every time.The script from William Rose is perfectly judged and paced, and there's enough detail in there to reward multiple viewings. It's quite risqué for 1953, but done in a splendidly subtle way that can only be described as a forgotten art. And as usual, I shall be whistling Larry Adler's magnificent score for days after viewing.I laughed, I cried, I loved the old cars. What more could you ask from a movie? Quite possibly the closest thing to perfection you're likely to see in a movie - and it didn't need special CGI effects and a cast of thousands, just four extremely talented actors, a few old cars and the glorious post-war English countryside.11 out of 10. No, 12! 13!