The Perfect Woman
Directed byBernard Knowles
Written byGeorge Black
Bernard Knowles
add. dialogue
Basil Boothroyd
Based onplay by Wallace Geoffrey
Basil Mitchell
Produced byAlfred Black
George Black
StarringPatricia Roc
Stanley Holloway
Nigel Patrick
Miles Malleson
CinematographyJack Hildyard
Edited byPeter Graham Scott
Music byArthur Wilkinson
Production
company
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors (UK)
Eagle Lion (UK)
Release dates
  • 23 May 1949 (1949-05-23) (London)
  • April 1950 (1950-04) (USA)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£100,000[1]

The Perfect Woman is a 1949 British farce comedy film directed by Bernard Knowles and written by George Black, Jr and J. B. Boothroyd, based upon a play by Wallace Geoffrey and Basil Mitchell. The screenplay concerns a scientist who creates a robotic woman in his lab.

Plot

Ramshead, a butler, tells his lazy and currently broke master, Roger Cavendish, that he is broke. They search the newspaper for potential work.

Professor Ernest Belman has placed an advert in the Times seeking help. They phone and arrange to meet.

The professor has created a woman robot in his lab based on his niece, Penelope.

Cavendish appears for interview (with his butler). They are tasked with looking after his robot, Olga, for a week but are told they must never say the word "love" in front of it.

When Penelope's date cancels, the housekeeper Buttercup suggests she pretend to be the robot. Cavendish and Ramshead take her to a hotel and stay in the bridal suite, sparking many rumours amongst the staff. Cavendish's rich aunt arrives and thinks he has married. The robot is sent to help to explain things.

Cast

Original play

The original play debuted on 11 September 1948 and ran for 224 performances.[2]

Production

Producers George and Alfred Black were sons of a famous producer.[3]

Roc made the film after spending several months in Paris, where she made Retour and The Man on the Eiffel Tower.[4] Roc was under contract to J. Arthur Rank at the time.[5] Filming took place in January 1949. The film was shot in 38 days at only three-quarters of its budgeted cost.[6] It was made at Denham Studios with sets designed by James Elder Wills.

Pamela Devis was cast as the robot because of her resemblance to Roc.[7]

Reception

Roc left the Rank organisation before the film was released. The film was released on a double bill, and given a West End screening.[8] However it proved popular and made a profit.[1]

Two Cities' executive producer Earl St John hoped to reunite Holloway, Patrick and Roc for a sequel, The Perfect Man.[9] However no film resulted.

Television version

The BBC broadcast a live adaptation of the Geoffrey and Mitchell play in the Sunday Night Theatre slot on 6 May 1956.

References

  1. 1 2 "THE STARRY WAY". The Courier-Mail. No. 3961. Brisbane. 6 August 1949. p. 2. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ Wearing, J. P. (22 August 2014). The London Stage 1940-1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. ISBN 9780810893061.
  3. ↑ "[?]ME SUGGESTIONS FOR SWEETS". The Argus. No. 31, 955. Melbourne. 1 February 1949. p. 3 (The Argus Woman's Magazine). Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "Margaret aylurards BRITISH FILMS". The Sun. No. 2385. Sydney. 26 December 1948. p. 21. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "MOVIE NEWS AND GOSSIP". Truth. No. 3078. Sydney. 16 January 1949. p. 38. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "BRITISH STUDIOS BELIEVE IN SPEED". The Mirror. Vol. 26, no. 1395. Western Australia. 12 February 1949. p. 15. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Screen Gossip: "Harvest From The Wilderness"". Warwick Daily News. No. 9231. Queensland. 7 March 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "ENGLISH ACTOR SECURES PLUM ROLE IN U.S. FILM". Truth. No. 3097. Sydney. 29 May 1949. p. 43. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Perfect Sequel?". Weekly Times. No. 4186. Victoria. 14 September 1949. p. 82. Retrieved 30 August 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
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