Quiet Weekend

Based on a play it is no too stagebound.Frank Cellier for once does not play a villain.The only real problem is who on earth would have a crush on Derek Farr.Only a lovstruck 18 year old.

Based on a play. A group assembles in the run-down country cottage owned by one couple. Their son's mousy would-be girlfriend takes on his glamorous 'latest', a haggard clothes horse with a ridiculous 40s hairdo. She asks her hostess if the family dresses for dinner. No, she says, because we don't have it. We have supper - something, and cheese and biscuits. As the mother goes out, the girlfriend mutters "cheese and biscuits". Sounds like nothing, but it's a very funny moment. Everyone is somewhat obsessed by food, but it was just post-war, and shortages and rationing ruled people's lives. No wonder Dad and friend Adrian go poaching salmon, which gives Adrian courage to propose to the lady he admires. Plus there's the ghastly village hall concert and antics of obnoxious rich party-goers. Everyone acts their socks off, including the wasps at the picnic. The salmon just has to play dead. By the way, it ends happily.

The charm in this film lies in its simplicity. Based on a stage play, it shows a middle class family staying at their weekend cottage, leading the easy type of life that has sadly long since disappeared. The highlights of this film are the dreadful concert and the poaching expedition.

For anyone born in the UK before about 1935 (as I was) this movie will bring back memories of austerity, such as very few cars and very little food and primitive plumbing. We all had to make do with what we had; the top rate of income tax was around 95%. Nevertheless the middle classes had those delicious cut-glass English accents; "thanks" was pronounced "thenks". The lower classes such as the old poacher, spoke their lines in broad accents and were usually considered to be comic characters.

That has all changed now. This movie is good entertainment but also of value to the social historians. It is the way the British coped with the rigors of victory after WW II, i.e. paying off the huge loans owed to the USA while trying to become a socialist society.

Denys (Derek Farr) brings his girlfriend Rowena (Helen Shingler) to stay with him and his family at their country house. His cousin Miranda (Barbara White) does not approve. Meanwhile, friend and local magistrate Adrian (Frank Cellier) is convinced to take part in a spot of salmon poaching....

This is a British film that has a certain quaintness and charm if you like that sort of thing. It's dialogue driven and quite amusing in parts, especially when Rowena and Miranda are sparring with each other. Unfortunately, the dialogue is delivered in that awful upper-class British accent, eg, "happening" becomes "heppening", and "actually" becomes "ectually". No-one normal speaks like that. Another irritation is the constant barking of orders and dishing out of instructions by Mildred (Marjorie Fielding). God that woman is annoying! There are a few lightweight comedic episodes, eg, the concert at the local village hall and the salmon-poaching incident but the main thing that sticks with me is the love between Miranda and Denys. They are cousins. Derek Farr is a complete non-entity as a leading man and the love theme that is explored in this film is just wrong!