Laburnum Grove

{{For|the play|Laburnum Grove (play)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Use British English|date=May 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = Laburnum Grove | image = Laburnum_Grove_(1936_film).jpg | caption = | director = Carol Reed | producer = Basil Dean | writer = J. B. Priestley (play) Anthony Kimmins Gordon Wellesley | narrator = | starring = Edmund Gwenn Cedric Hardwicke Victoria Hopper Ethel Coleridge | music = Ernest Irving | cinematography = John W. Boyle | editing = Jack Kitchin | studio = Associated Talking Pictures | distributor = Associated British {{small|(UK)}} | released = {{Film date|df=y|1936|11|16|UK}} | runtime = 73 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Laburnum Grove''''' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Carol Reed and starring Edmund Gwenn, Cedric Hardwicke and Victoria Hopper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1207550/|title=BFI Screenonline: Laburnum Grove (1936)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> It was based on the 1933 play of the same name written by J. B. Priestley.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yyqc0Qa6b60C&q=laburnum+grove+literary+sources+in+film&pg=PA376|title=The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film|first=Alan|last=Goble|date=1 January 1999|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=9783110951943|via=Google Books}}</ref> Gwenn, Ethel Coleridge, Francis James, James Harcourt and David Hawthorne all repeated their roles from the play's original 1933-34 West End production, which had been directed by Hardwicke.<ref>https://theatricalia.com/play/384/laburnum-grove/production/79z</ref>

==Plot summary== To rid himself of his sponging relatives a man tells them he is really a forger which causes them to leave. His wife believes he is joking, but he has in fact allowed the truth to slip out and now he is in danger of being arrested.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/39447|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129011125/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/39447|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-11-29|title=Laburnum Grove (1936)}}</ref>

==Cast== * Edmund Gwenn as Mr. Radfern * Cedric Hardwicke as Mr. Baxley * Victoria Hopper as Elsie Radfern * Ethel Coleridge as Mrs. Baxley * Katie Johnson as Mrs. Radfern * Francis James as Harold Russ * James Harcourt as Joe Fletten * David Hawthorne as Inspector Stack * Frederick Burtwell as Simpson

==Novelisation== In 1936, Heinemann, London issued, in hardcover, ''J. B. Priestley's Laburnum Grove'' "based on the famous stage play & film" by Ruth Holland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldofrarebooks.com/laburnum-grove-the-novel-of-j-b-priestley-s-famous-play-and-film-by-ruth-holland.html|title=Laburnum Grove, The Novel of J. B. Priestley's Famous Play And Film by Ruth Holland - World of rare Books.com|website=www.worldofrarebooks.com}}</ref> This book marked the second 'collaboration' between Holland and Priestley, as she had three years before novelised his play ''Dangerous Corner''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12733984731&searchurl=tn=dangerous+corner&sortby=17&an=holland+ruth|title=Dangerous Corner: A Novel By Ruth Holland from the Play by J. B. Priestley, with his co-operation, and a Foreword [Mellifont Library Series] by Ruth Holland with co-operation of J. B. Priestley [1894-1984]: Published by Mellifont Press Limited, 60 Chancery Lane, London circa . London circa 1939. - Little Stour Books PBFA Member|website=www.abebooks.co.uk}}</ref> Ms. Holland was at the time known for at least one work of popular contemporary fiction of her own, ''The Lost Generation'', a wartime novel.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Lost Generation.|first=Ruth|last=Holland|date=6 September 2017|publisher=London|oclc = 561230472}}</ref> She was also, by way of Priestley's second marriage, his sister-in-law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.nypl.org/controlaccess/8738?term=Photograph+albums|title=archives.nypl.org -- Search results|website=archives.nypl.org}}</ref>

==Reception== Writing for ''The Spectator'' in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, noting that "here at last is an English film one can unreservedly praise". Greene characterized the film as "thoroughly workmanlike and unpretentious", and praised director Reed for his difficult and successful adaptation of Priestley's original play.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Greene|first= Graham|author-link= Graham Greene|date= 31 July 1936|title= Laburnum Grove/Ourselves Alone|journal= The Spectator}} (reprinted in: {{cite book|editor-last= Taylor|editor-first= John Russell|editor-link= John Russell Taylor|date= 1980|title= The Pleasure Dome|url= https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/90|pages= [https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/90 90–91]|isbn= 0192812866|url-access= registration}})</ref>

==References== <references/>

==Bibliography== * Evans, Peter William. ''Carol Reed''. Manchester University Press, 2005.

==External links== *{{IMDb title|0027859}} *{{Screenonline title|1207550}}

Category:1936 films Category:1936 comedy films Category:British comedy films Category:Films directed by Carol Reed Category:British films based on plays Category:Films set in London Category:Associated Talking Pictures Category:Films based on works by J. B. Priestley Category:British black-and-white films Category:1936 English-language films Category:1936 British films Category:English-language comedy films Category:Films scored by Ernest Irving