Storm in a Teacup (1937)

This, alas, has not aged at all well and I'm guessing it will only attract either Leigh or Harrison completists. I was slightly bemused to find that several people who have reviewed it here seem to think that the original German playwright, Bruno Frank, wrote it as an anti-Hitler piece. I don't know much about European politics either then or now but I do know that Bruno Frank wrote Storm In a Water-Glass in 1931, whilst Hitler did not become Chancellor until 1933. As usual with films of that period the director(s) have been cavalier with facts: The setting is a small, remote community in Scotland, the sort of place where people are born and live all their lives but that doesn't prevent Victor Saville casting Sarah Allgood as the catalyst and there is, of course, nothing wrong with that, EXCEPT that Allgood, supposedly a lifelong resident of this small Scottish community, makes no attempt to suppress, or even tone down the 'stage' Oirish accent that served her so well in every film she made (presumably she was stricken with the same ailment that prevented Sean Connery from losing his Scottish accent, even when playing an Irishman). For good measure we also get Mervyn Johns, complete with his own Welsh accent. Neither of the two leads - Vivien Leigh/Rex Harrison - are required to act or indeed do anything except look a) beautiful and b) bemused, but it does become a tad more bearable in the closing courtroom stages.

The provost (mayor?) of a small town in Scotland is an arrogant petty tyrant who is adamant that a poor woman's dog be put down because she can't afford the license fee. The woman, Mrs Heggaty, goes to the provost's house to beg for her dog's life. Even when Provost Gow's daughter offers to pay the fee and fines, he says no because it's a matter of principle and throws Mrs. Heggaty out of the house. A reporter who has newly arrived to the town ( and who also has fallen for the provost's daughter) observes this and later writes a scathing news article about this resulting in the town's people getting in an uproar. The article also gets national attention which puts a halt to the provost's higher political ambitions. The provost is livid and has the reporter arrested for slander. Memorable scenes include the provost, calmly and with great dignity walking a gauntlet of angry and derisive townspeople and the scene when seemingly hundreds of dogs run rampant through the provost's house. One of the funniest scenes occurs at the reporter's trial. An Irish maid, who is prone to using American slang, is testifying and at one point says to the prosecuting attorney "Sez you." The judge asks for an explanation of the term and the attorney give a lengthy, pedantic, and accurate definition of the term. The judge responds with an "Oh, yeah." Rex Harrison and Vivien Leigh were very good but it's Cecil Parker as the provost who gives the most notable performance (well, he did have the meatiest role). Sara Allgood also does a nice job as the distraught Mrs. Heggaty who so loves her dog, Patsy. This is a heart warming and delightful film.

Two years before the monumental "Gone With the Wind," Vivien Leigh made this rather bad film with Rex Harrison. Of all people, the wonderful Sara Allgood steals the show whose dog is ready to be put to death since she hasn't paid the local dog tax in Baikie, Scotland.A story of the corruption of politics follows. Leigh's father, the town provost, has political aspirations until he is exposed by Harrison in his news story.The scene with the dogs invading the mansion is quite funny; unfortunately, the movie really isn't; in fact, it's quite inane and dreary to say the least.The person who made Allgood's costume in the last scene of the film in court deserved an Oscar nomination.

You would probably have to be my age or older and to have lived in the London (England) area as a child; the only area then with television coverage in the UK; to know that the only film BBC television had access to in those days, when the film studios were determined that films would only be seen at the cinema, was 'Storm in a Teacup' staring Rex Harrison. During that period, 1949 - 1953, it was shown each Christmas as a special treat! Soppy film or not, it really was a treat then to see a film in the comfort of one's home.Perhaps someone could add how it was that the BBC obtained this one and only film that allowed them to technically break the embargo.