{{Short description|1938 British film by Carol Reed}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Use British English|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox film | name = Climbing High | image = Climbing High 1938 film.jpeg | caption = Dvd cover | director = [[Carol Reed]] | producer = [[Michael Balcon]] | writer = [[Lesser Samuels]] | based_on = an original story by [[Lesser Samuels]]<br> Marion Dix | starring = {{ubl|[[Jessie Matthews]]|[[Michael Redgrave]]|[[Noel Madison]]|[[Margaret Vyner]]|[[Alastair Sim]]}} | music = [[Louis Levy]] | cinematography = [[Mutz Greenbaum]] | editing = Al Barnes<br>[[Michael Gordon (film editor)|Michael Gordon]] | studio = [[Gaumont British|Gaumont British Picture Corporation]] | distributor = {{ubl|[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] (UK)|[[20th Century Fox|Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation]] (US)}} | released = {{film date|1938|11| |UK}} | runtime = 78 minutes | country = [[United Kingdom]] | language = [[English language|English]] | budget = £94,018<ref>{{cite magazine|title=‘The highest salary ever paid to a human being’: Creating a Database of Film Costs from the Bank of England |last=Chapman|first= Llewella|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|magazine=Journal of British cinema and television, 2022-10|volume=19|number=4|page=470-494 at 481}}</ref> | gross = }}

'''''Climbing High''''' is a 1938 British [[comedy film]] directed by [[Carol Reed]] and produced by [[Michael Balcon]] with a screenplay by [[Sonnie Hale]], Marion Dix and [[Lesser Samuels]]. It stars [[Jessie Matthews]], [[Michael Redgrave]], [[Noel Madison]], [[Margaret Vyner]] and [[Alistair Sim]], and was first released in the U.K. in November 1938.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/climbing-high-v87433/cast-crew|title=Climbing High (1938) – Carol Reed – Cast and Crew – AllMovie|website=AllMovie|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref>

==Plot== Nicky Brooke is a wealthy young man who despite his engagement to the aristocratic (and broke) Lady Constance Westaker falls for hard-up model Diana Castles after nearly running her over with his car. In an effort to distance himself from 'tabloid' created tales of his playboy lifestyle, he changes his name and attempts to woo Diana by pretending to be poor.

==Cast== {{div col}} *[[Jessie Matthews]] as Diana Castles *[[Michael Redgrave]] as Nicky Brooke *[[Noel Madison]] as Gibson *[[Alastair Sim]] as Max *[[Margaret Vyner]] as Lady Constance Westaker *[[Mary Clare]] as Lady Emily Westaker *[[Francis L. Sullivan]] as Madman *[[Enid Stamp-Taylor]] as Winnie *[[Torin Thatcher]] as Jim Castle *[[Tucker McGuire]] as Patsey *[[Basil Radford]] as Reggie Baird *[[Athole Stewart]] as Uncle *[[Kathleen Byron]] as model *[[Terry-Thomas]] as voice of cow *[[Leslie Phillips]] as a child actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031161/|title=Climbing High|date=1 December 1938|access-date=19 July 2016|publisher=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/29608 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129201546/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/29608 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-11-29 |title=Climbing High (1939) &#124; BFI |publisher=Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk |access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref> {{div col end}}

==Production== ''Climbing High'' was filmed at [[Pinewood Studios]], [[Iver|Iver Heath]], [[Buckinghamshire]] by [[Gaumont British|Gaumont British Picture Corporation]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Reed|first=Carol|title=Climbing High|date=1938-12-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031161/locations?ref_=tt_ql_dt_6|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Halliwell's Film Guide|last=Halliwell|first=Leslie|publisher=Grafton Books|year=1987|isbn=0-246-13207-8|location=U.K.|pages=200|edition=6th}}</ref>

==Reception== Writing for [[Allmovie]], Bruce Eder considered ''Climbing High'' to be one of [[Jessie Matthews]]' best vehicles which he noted was "a surprising result considering it is devoid of the musical numbers that one would have expected from one of England's top dancing and singing talents of the period. What it has is a brilliantly piercing witty script ... superbly engaging acting performances by all concerned and superb pacing." Eder further noted that "Carol Reed was only 3 years into his career ... and was already one of the top comedy directors in England." He concluded that ''Climbing High'' was "one of the most entertaining British comedies of the period with some piercing [[topical humour]] (especially about the advertising business and political activism) that still holds today."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/climbing-high-v87433/review|title=Climbing High (1938) – Carol Reed {{!}} Review {{!}} AllMovie|website=AllMovie|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0031161|title=Climbing High}}

{{Carol Reed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climbing High}} [[Category:1938 films]] [[Category:1938 comedy films]] [[Category:1938 British films]] [[Category:1938 English-language films]] [[Category:British black-and-white films]] [[Category:British comedy films]] [[Category:English-language comedy films]] [[Category:Films directed by Carol Reed]] [[Category:Films scored by Louis Levy]] [[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]] [[Category:Films with screenplays by Lesser Samuels]]