GREAT BRITISH ACTORS – STANLEY HOLLOWAY (1952 – 1956)

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Born in London in 1890 Stanley Holloway was one of Britain’s finest comedy actors. It was in the 1950s that Holloway produced arguably his finest work on the big screen and this box set includes four of his finest films.

THE HAPPY FAMILY (1952) , Holloway stars alongside George Cole, Kathleen Harrison and Naughton Wayne in this post war comedy. When the government decide to build a Festival of Britain exhibition site everything goes to plan until they try and demolish Henry Lord’s (Holloway) corner shop!!

A DAY TO REMEMBER (1953) , some of Britain’s finest post war comedy talent including Donald Sinden, Bill Owen, Peter Jones and James Hayter star in this amusing story of a London Pub darts team day trip to Boulogne

FAST AND LOOSE (1954) , Holloway stars in this hilarious Ben Travers farce alongside Kay Kendal and Dora Bryan as an unmarried couple spend an unexpected night together in a country inn!

JUMPING FOR JOY (1956) , Holloway teams up with another screen legend, Frankie Howerd, in this hilarious canine tale of a sick greyhound!

In terms of recognition, Stanley Holloway was awarded an OBE in 1960 and was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He continued his long acting career into his 90s, passing away in 1982 aged 91, and will be remembered as one of Britain’s greatest comedy actors.

A Day to Remember [1953]

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A Day to Remember is a 1953 British comedy drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring a classic British comedy cast including Stanley Holloway, Donald Sinden, Bill Owen and Thora Hird. The darts team of a London public house go on a day trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. Members of the party have different reasons for going on the trip and get into various adventures along the way.

Simba [1955]

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An English farmer who has settled in Kenya is forced to fight the Mau-Mau tribe as their terrorism and racial hatred threaten the lives of those he loves. The recent Mau Mau uprising in Kenya served as story material for the 1955 British film Simba.

White farmer Dirk Bogarde and his neighbours are targeted for extermination by the zealously nationalistic Mau Maus. Native doctor Joseph Tomelty, whose brother had earlier been killed under questionable circumstances, endeavours to help the whites escape the hordes, only to discover that his own father is the local leader of the insurrectionists. Given the cruelties of colonial rule in Africa, it is hard for any film to make the Mau Mau total villains, despite their own well-documented brutal treatment of their enemies. Simba downplays side-taking and ideology, choosing instead to concentrate on the adventure and suspense elements.

The Captain’s Table [1959]

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A light comedy based on a novel by Richard Gordon, The Captain’s Table has director Jack Lee at its own helm, riding high on the success of his 1956 A Town Like Alice.

When the South Star liner Queen Adelaide sails from Tilbury bound for Australia, Captain Albert Ebbs is a happy man. After years in cargo vessels, he has finally been given command of a luxury liner, promoted from the tramp steamers he’s been used to. Although he is a thoroughly competent sailor ready to take charge of such a ship, he is less prepared for the social duties the new position involves, not least the way he becomes the target for all the comely unattached women on board. To top it off, his Chief Purser is doing a roaring trade in smuggling the ship’s supplies. What s a man to do?

Eventually, the captain catches on to the nuances of his new role, confident that he and the “Love Boat” can weather any storm. …The Captain’s Table ( Shenanigans )