Lease of Life (1954) on Netflix
William Thorne, vicar of a small Yorkshire village, lives modestly with his wife Vera and their pianist daughter Susan. Told he has little time left, he begins to rethink his life.
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- Netflix3.4/5
- IMDb6.8/10365 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Plot summary
William Thorne is the vicar of Hinton St. John, a village whose church sits at the center of its life. Money is tight for him and his wife Vera, and Vera is set on their daughter Susan, a gifted pianist under the guidance of Martin Blake, making something of her talent. If Susan wins a scholarship, the Thornes cannot pay for her lodging in London. Elderly farmer Mr. Sproatley, ill in bed, asks Thorne to visit; he wants his money to pass to his son and not to his wife, but Mrs. Sproatley enters before anything is settled. Thorne collapses while preparing a sermon, and his doctor tells him he has under a year left.
Cast
- Beckett Bouldas Sproatley
- Robert Sandfordas The Boy with the Book
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Lease of Life (1954)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Lease of Life was designed as a star vehicle for Robert Donat, marking his return to the screen after a three-year absence.
- The film is unique in the Ealing canon for having religion as its dominant theme; like other Ealing films of the era, it focuses on a specific English milieu, here a Yorkshire village and its nearby cathedral city.
