Alan Badel comes to a small English town. He is tall, bearded, wears a motley assortment of old clothes, and clearly a bit balmy. He attracts attention, of course, but he soon shows himself to be harmless, so the locals call him 'Napoleon' and are amused by him. Then he goes to see businessman Cameron Hall as Hall is about to leave. He insists on showing him card tricks, and how to get out of hand cuffs. Then he shows him one last trick.
This 22-minute short is Wendy Toye's first as director, and it's a surprisingly facile little effort that won a well-deserved award at Cannes. Also, it was produced by George K. Arthur, who had been an important star at MGM during the silent era. He saved his money and returned to England; in the 1950s, he produced seven well-received shorts. He died in 1985 at age 86.
This 22-minute short is Wendy Toye's first as director, and it's a surprisingly facile little effort that won a well-deserved award at Cannes. Also, it was produced by George K. Arthur, who had been an important star at MGM during the silent era. He saved his money and returned to England; in the 1950s, he produced seven well-received shorts. He died in 1985 at age 86.