A Yank in Ermine

A Yank In Ermine tells of the story of an enlisted American Airman who gets a visit from British solicitor Reginald Beckwith who tells him that he's about to inherit a title and estate because a whole lot of relatives he never knew he had have taken leave of this earth. He's got himself a nice bit of acreage in England with servants and all.

Of course if he decides the lifestyle isn't for him he can abdicate. But Peter Thompson decides to go to the United Kingdom and check it out. Accompanying area a pair of friends Harold Lloyd, Jr., and Jon Pertwee.

There are some women involved. A nightclub singer back home played by Diana Decker and Noelle Middleton who is the heiress to a neighboring estate. The usual romantic complications ensue.

This might have been a bigger hit, but Peter Thompson was just too bland in the lead. I daresay this probably got limited distribution on this side of the pond.

Another reviewer said Jon Pertwee had an atrocious American accent. That he did, but I think it was quite deliberate. Pertwee was having some fun with the part spoofing what some Americans sound like to British ears. I enjoyed him and Harold Lloyd, Jr. at the local dance where Pertwee cuts one mean rug in slang of the day.

A Yank In Ermine still an entertaining film after over 60 years.

I'm writing a review as I feel a bit sorry for this little film as it's probably been consigned to history. Made in 1955, it's mildly amusing if, like me, you love watching those old British character actors, long gone now, but who pop up consistently in this type of comedy from that period. I'm talking about actors like Reginald Beckwith, Richard Wattis, Edward Chapman, Guy Middleton and the legend that is Sid James. For the ladies, it has Noelle Middleton who I don't remember, and Diana Decker who I do remember vaguely. Diana Decker is very good, lively and personable and contributes quite a lot to the film. It tells the story of and American airman who inherits a British title of a Lord. He flies over here with two of his sidekicks and the inevitable occurs, he can't decide whether to stay or go back to the States until he falls in love with another landowners daughter. A series of comical encounters take place before the happy ending. Jon Pertwee with an atrocious American accent is one of the hero's (Peter Thompson) sidekicks. Quite fun as long as you know and love these great character actors I've mentioned above.

Here we have that old chestnut as to how would an American act if he inherited an English title.I recall a rather better effort in the late thirties from HMM starring Robert Montgomery in Earl of Chicago.Here the beneficiary is a serviceman who comes to claim his title with two friends,Jon Pertwee,with a truly awful accent,and Harold Lloyd June,who sadly makes little impression.The real stars of this film are the supporting actors such as Guy Middleton,Reginald Beckwith and Richard WattisPeter Thompson plays the serviceman trying to get out of marrying Diana Decker so that he can marry Noelle Middleton.It is filmed in colour but it can't pep up a lifeless film.

They used to call these British movies 'Mid-Atlantic' as they thought they might attract American film-goers if they included a few has-been American actors. This type of movie eventually brought the UK film industry to its knees. The premise is so dull: a Yank comes to little old England with its quaint customs and people . Yawn yawn of course he gets to like it and finds true love. One awful bit is when the hero is supposedly riding a winning horse and he is so obviously in a studio set on some kind of rocking bench.

A brief cameo from Sid James. The village used is Turville Buckinghamshire and for once they used the real name of the pub the 'Bull and Butcher'

I've seen this film only once it was show on BBC2 one afternoon in the late 1990's. It's a story of an american soldier who inherits the lordship to an english village, Why it interested me is that the village in question is actually Turville in Buckinghamshire. Turville's usually linked to another film "Went the day well" but this film shows more shots of the village. The village pub "The Bull and Butcher" is shown in detail both inside and out. In the film the main bar is actually shown as the village shop, whether this was the case in 1955 or it was purely for film i am unsure. The film itself is quite boring and i would'nt recommend it for its artistic quality.