Genevieve (1953) on Netflix
Alan McKim and wife Wendy drive Genevieve, a 1904 Darracq, in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Friend Ambrose Claverhouse drives a 1905 Spyker, and breakdowns bring the McKims in late.
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb7.0/103,821 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes86%
Trailer
Plot summary
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is an annual event, and two crews take part in it. Alan McKim, a young barrister, drives Genevieve, a 1904 Darracq, with his wife Wendy. Their friend Ambrose Claverhouse, an advertising salesman, travels in a 1905 Spyker with his girlfriend, the fashion model Rosalind Peters, and her St. Bernard. Breakdowns trouble the McKims, who arrive very late, while Ambrose's journey goes well. Because Alan canceled their rooms at the plush hotel they usually use during a fit of pique, the couple must spend the night in a run-down hotel instead. Wendy is not happy about that.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Genevieve (1953)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The original choices for the two male leads were Guy Middleton and Dirk Bogarde, but both turned the film down, so their roles went to Kenneth More and John Gregson instead.
- Larry Adler, who composed the themes, took 2.5% of the producer's profits instead of a fee; when the film opened in the US his name was removed from the credits over his perceived left-wing sympathies and replaced by conductor Muir Mathieson.
- Cinematographer Christopher Challis said director Henry Cornelius raised the completion guarantee for Genevieve by mortgaging his house, on top of the private finance he had already obtained.
- Kenneth More called the shoot "hell", with everything going wrong including the weather; Cornelius's perfectionism pushed the film £20,000 over budget and the insurance company had to supply the extra money.
- Dinah Sheridan recalled her first meeting with Henry Cornelius, who told her loudly that she was sitting with her back to the light because she knew she was too old for the part; the rudeness continued all through filming.
- Christopher Challis said Genevieve was the first film made on location in all weather; previously crews could not shoot when sunlight changed and the light no longer matched.
- Genevieve started a cycle of Rank Organisation comedies and helped turn its leads into film stars, particularly Kenneth More; Dinah Sheridan retired soon afterwards after marrying Rank chairman John Davis.
- William Rose used Genevieve as the basis for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a larger-scale car comedy originally set in Scotland, and sold the outline to Stanley Kramer, who wanted a comedy after a run of dramas.
