Loucuras da Primavera

This is a lighthearted, very British romance with a fine cast. The story revolves around a merchant's daughter, Anna Neagle as Judy, who falls in love with their new servant, Richard, played by Michael Wilding, who is actually a nobleman fallen on hard times temporarily. As dancing partners they are sublime in the gentle romantic interludes which create lovely highlights to the movie. Don't miss it. The script moves along well with witty dialogue and interesting interaction among the characters. Excellent British fare with lots of charm.

When this film was released this country was in the grip of austerity so the sight of people living seemingly in another world of plenty was very appealing

According to IMDB and TCM, "Spring in Park Lane" made more money than any other British film the year it debuted. In fact, it apparently is one of the highest attended pictures ever in the UK...so it's obvious that the film was very popular...so popular they reunited Michael Wilding and Anna Neagle repeatedly.

The story finds Richard (Wilding) applying for a job as footman for the Howard family. Judy (Neagle) hires him....but soon her uncle (the head of the household) regrets this when Richard informs him he bought a forged painting. After all, what would a footman know of art? What none of them realize is that Richard was once wealthy and sophisticated but recently lost his money and was forced to seek work...and he did know what he was talking about when it came to art. As for Judy, she just knows that Richard is delightful and they are starting to fall in love.

In many ways, this is a lot like "My Man Godfrey"...with a well-bred man arriving in the guise of a servant and helping a family in many ways. But it's not really a comedy like the earlier film...and the emphasis is more on romance. A nice picture..well worth seeing...though not exactly up to the hype surrounding it (few films ever are).

This film is pure joy. Back in the nineteen seventies I was a projectionist for several years and I remember my mother encouraging me to watch vintage movies to find out what real acting was about.

This one was one of the earliest I saw and I totally fell in love with it.

Set in London's west end, this is the tale of an impoverished Lord played with enormous charm and wit by Michael Wilding. He and Anna Neagle, his co-star, have great chemistry together, and really all the way through you can see they were made each other. The rest of the cast are all in top form and really this is a movie not to be missed if you love romantic comedies as I do.

Spring In Park Lane has Michael Wilding an aristocrat on the lam lest a family scandal ensue getting a job with Tom Walls who's a nouveau riche type looking to acquire a bit of culture. He takes a job as a footman with only butler G.H. Mulcaster knowing his true identity.

But Anna Neagle who is secretary as well as daughter of Walls suspects early on that this servant is not all he seems. He's way too well educated and cultured for one in his line of work.

This is one light and airy confection with a great deal of the charm of this film residing in the charm and chemistry of the leads. Neagle and Wilding had that in abundance.

Others in the cast you will enjoy are Josephine Fitzgerald as the severe Irish housekeeper for Walls who finds Wilding a most agreeable bridge partner and Nicholas Phipps as one of those empty headed twits who have titles. He's also the Marquis of Borechester the family title of which Wilding is a possible heir.

If you like your British films light and airy you can't go wrong with Spring In Park Lane.