Poet's Pub

Poet's Pub is a 1949 British second feature ('B')^[1] comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice.^[2] It is based on the 1929 novel of the same title by Eric Linklater. The film was one of four of David Rawnsley's Aquila Films that used his proposed "independent frame" technique.^{[citation needed]}

Poet's Pub
Film poster
Directed by	Frederick Wilson
Written by	Diana Morgan
Based on	Poet's Pub by Eric Linklater
Produced by	Donald B. Wilson
Starring	Derek Bond Rona Anderson James Robertson Justice Joyce Grenfell Maurice Denham
Cinematography	Bill Allan Arthur Ibbetson George Stretton
Edited by	Peter Bezencenet
Music by	Clifton Parker
Production company	Aquila Film
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	5 July 1949 (1949-07-05)
Running time	79 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Premise

An Oxford poet is persuaded to become manager of the Pelican Pub, after complaining about the food and service.

Cast

• Derek Bond as Saturday Keith
• Rona Anderson as Joanna Benbow
• James Robertson Justice as Prof. Benbow
• John McLaren as Elmer Van Buren
• Barbara Murray as Nelly Bly
• Peter Croft as Quentin Cotton
• Leslie Dwyer as Holly
• Joyce Grenfell as Miss Horsefell-Hughes
• Fabia Drake as Lady Mercy Cotton
• Maurice Denham as PC Windle
• Kay Cavendish as Jean Forbes
• Andrew Osborn as Williams
• Iris Hoey as Lady Keith
• Vincent Ball as Stacey
• Ernest Berk as dancer
• Elizabeth Blake as dancer
• Dennis Brian as member, Oxford crew
• Derek Briggs as cyclist
• Olwen Brookes as bridge player
• Ann Codrington as bridge player
• Deidre Doyle as Mrs. Arnott
• Geoffrey Dunn as Mr. Sedgwick
• Alexander Field as waiter
• Dorothy Green as bridge player
• Pat Hagen as dancer
• Mona K. Harrison as bridge player
• Patricia Hayes as Mrs. Lott
• Walter Horsbrugh as curate
• Roddy Hughes as Truscott
• Peter Illing as Charles
• Jennifer Jayne as cyclist
• Sam Kydd as George
• Arthur Lowe as coach guide
• Michael McKeag as cyclist
• Mike Oxley as cyclist
• Dermot Palmer as Harris
• John Singer as Cox
• Philip Stainton as Mr. Lott
• Anthony Steel as Compton
• Joan Sterndale-Bennett
• Dennis Vance as Scriven
• Leslie Weston as Higgins
• Mela White as cyclist
• Edward Rigby as pageant watching villager (uncredited)

Production

The film was made at Pinewood Studios. It features actors viewing a combined radiogram television receiver made by Alba in 1948.^{[citation needed]}

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This film, the last to be made under the present Independent Frame system (in future relegated for use only in certain sequences of films where its limitations are less important), is technically more finished than its predecessors, chiefly because the system was not applied throughout production. But Eric Linklater's sophisticated novel of the thirties is hardly suitable for such naive direction and playing. Some may find compensation in Joyce Grenfell's sketch of the local historian."^[3]

Picture Show wrote: "This adaptation of one of Eric Linklater's earlier novels suffers from far too much talk which slows down the action considerably. ... Picturesquely staged and well acted."^[4]

Picturegoer wrote: "In spite of the fact that direction is rather ragged, this adaptation of Eric Linklater's delightful novel is really good fun."^[5]

References

1. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
2. "Poet's Pub". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
3. "Poet's Pub". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 16 (181): 116. 1 January 1949 – via ProQuest.
4. "Poet's Pub". Picture Show. 53 (1376): 10. 13 August 1949 – via ProQuest.
5. "Poet's Pub". Picturegoer. 18: 14. 4 August 1949 – via ProQuest.

External links

• Poet's Pub at IMDb
• Poet's Pub at AllMovie