The Man in the White Suit

Rating:
Summary: What Is Big Business Hiding From Us?
Review: Alec Guinness plays another one of the oddball characters he often played in 1950's British films, this time as an inventor/scientist of a miracle fabric that will not wear out or get dirty. It seems like a great idea to him and to the owner of the factory where he makes it, but then the economic reality of it becomes an issue. What will happen to fabric manufacturers and the clothing industry if clothing doesn't wear out? Will unions let that happen? Trapped in the middle of all this turmoil is Guinness, glowing in his white suit. He delivers yet another terrific performance, and is well supported by so many fine British character actors. The film is well written, although I found the first fifteen minutes or so a little confusing. The premise is great, and it makes you question whether there are a lot of potential products not being invented because of their long term effects on big business, regardless of their usefulness to the general public!

Rating:
Summary: What Is Big Business Hiding From Us?
Review: Alec Guinness plays another one of the oddball characters he often played in 1950's British films, this time as an inventor/scientist of a miracle fabric that will not wear out or get dirty. It seems like a great idea to him and to the owner of the factory where he makes it, but then the economic reality of it becomes an issue. What will happen to fabric manufacturers and the clothing industry if clothing doesn't wear out? Will unions let that happen? Trapped in the middle of all this turmoil is Guinness, glowing in his white suit. He delivers yet another terrific performance, and is well supported by so many fine British character actors. The film is well written, although I found the first fifteen minutes or so a little confusing. The premise is great, and it makes you question whether there are a lot of potential products not being invented because of their long term effects on big business, regardless of their usefulness to the general public!

Rating:
Summary: One of Alec Guinness's best comedic films of the fifties
Review: Although Alec Guinness had already achieved a fair degree of fame on stage and on screen by the time he made THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, this is, in fact, one of his earliest starring roles. Strictly speaking, although he had portrayed eight characters in 1949's KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, this was his first comedy in which is played the lead. Playing inventor Sidney Stratton, Guinness further cemented his burgeoning reputation as one of England's most interesting and versatile actors.

The film features a marvelous though, to early 21st century film fans, largely unknown cast. Joan Greenwood, who is one of my favorite actresses in the history of film--beautiful, effortlessly sexy and sensual, enormously talented, and possessed of one of the great voices in the history of cinema--plays Guinness's romantic counterfoil. Cecil Parker, who while never a star, seemed to populate dozens of successful films without ever calling attention to himself. The film also features a typical performance by Ernest Thesiger, who played ancient-old-man parts for over forty years in films and is one of the most unique looking actors in British film history.

The story involves a quirky scientist inventing cloth that never gets dirty and never wears out, but which comes out of the lab pure white. This was at a time when a whole range of new synthetic fabrics were hitting the market, so the subject was very topical at the time. The plot revolves around the anticipated effects such material would have on the textile industry. The film is a comedy, but it is the kind of comedy that creates more smiles than laughs. It is not less delightful for that.

Rating:
Summary: One of Alec Guinness's best comedic films of the fifties
Review: Although Alec Guinness had already achieved a fair degree of fame on stage and on screen by the time he made THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, this is, in fact, one of his earliest starring roles. Strictly speaking, although he had portrayed eight characters in 1949's KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, this was his first comedy in which is played the lead. Playing inventor Sidney Stratton, Guinness further cemented his burgeoning reputation as one of England's most interesting and versatile actors.

The film features a marvelous though, to early 21st century film fans, largely unknown cast. Joan Greenwood, who is one of my favorite actresses in the history of film--beautiful, effortlessly sexy and sensual, enormously talented, and possessed of one of the great voices in the history of cinema--plays Guinness's romantic counterfoil. Cecil Parker, who while never a star, seemed to populate dozens of successful films without ever calling attention to himself. The film also features a typical performance by Ernest Thesiger, who played ancient-old-man parts for over forty years in films and is one of the most unique looking actors in British film history.

The story involves a quirky scientist inventing cloth that never gets dirty and never wears out, but which comes out of the lab pure white. This was at a time when a whole range of new synthetic fabrics were hitting the market, so the subject was very topical at the time. The plot revolves around the anticipated effects such material would have on the textile industry. The film is a comedy, but it is the kind of comedy that creates more smiles than laughs. It is not less delightful for that.

Rating:
Summary: Gurgling Imagination
Review: I recently purchased The Horse's Mouth (1958) from Amazon as well as "The Alec Guinness Collection" which includes The Man in the White Suit (1951) plus four others: Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953), and The Ladykillers (1955). Frankly, I was amazed how well each of the six films has held up since I first saw it.

Directed by Alexander MacKendrick (who also directed The Ladykillers four years later), what we have in The Man in the White Suit is Guinness' own version of the naive, indeed eccentric visionary/inventor/humanitarian. Sidney Stratton's dream is to create a fabric which never wears out and cannot be soiled. Endless (sometimes explosive) experiments involving various gurgling contraptions prove unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Stratton is fired from his job in one research laboratory, continues his research in another, and eventually succeeds. Or so he thinks.

One of these film's several delights is Joan Greenwood's portrayal of Daphne Birnley, daughter of the owner of the company in whose laboratory Stratton finally discovers the correct formula for the miracle fabric. Her father is played with great style by Cecil Parker who is almost as eager to marry off his daughter as he is to save his company. Only a spoilsport would reveal the climax of this entertaining film, one which may surprise viewers as much as it does Stratton and Alan Birnley. Sadder but wiser, Stratton ambles (as only Guinness can) into an uncertain future. Nowhere else throughout the plot is the special soundtrack more effective than it is in this final scene.

Rating:
Summary: Gurgling Imagination
Review: I recently purchased The Horse's Mouth (1958) from Amazon as well as "The Alec Guinness Collection" which includes The Man in the White Suit (1951) plus four others: Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953), and The Ladykillers (1955). Frankly, I was amazed how well each of the six films has held up since I first saw it.

Directed by Alexander MacKendrick (who also directed The Ladykillers four years later), what we have in The Man in the White Suit is Guinness' own version of the naive, indeed eccentric visionary/inventor/humanitarian. Sidney Stratton's dream is to create a fabric which never wears out and cannot be soiled. Endless (sometimes explosive) experiments involving various gurgling contraptions prove unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Stratton is fired from his job in one research laboratory, continues his research in another, and eventually succeeds. Or so he thinks.

One of these film's several delights is Joan Greenwood's portrayal of Daphne Birnley, daughter of the owner of the company in whose laboratory Stratton finally discovers the correct formula for the miracle fabric. Her father is played with great style by Cecil Parker who is almost as eager to marry off his daughter as he is to save his company. Only a spoilsport would reveal the climax of this entertaining film, one which may surprise viewers as much as it does Stratton and Alan Birnley. Sadder but wiser, Stratton ambles (as only Guinness can) into an uncertain future. Nowhere else throughout the plot is the special soundtrack more effective than it is in this final scene.

Rating:
Summary: YaDADUMdeeDOODAHaY
Review: I'm not eggsactly sure how to justify my rating or describe this film. It's not exactly a great, touching, or brilliant film. It's a bit dry. The humor is there but only so long as you're the sort of person to laugh at the bleakest of insights, the bitterest of satires, or the most depressing qualities of society. It is as relevant to the present as it is to it's own time. It is entertaining to a degree, if fairly obvious on the surface. Alec Guinness is a good actor and suits The Man in the White Suit perfectly.

This is the sort of film I can admire, enjoy watching once, reflect upon for a little bit afterwards, get depressed and/or happy about what it implies, type off a quick review, and be done with it. It's definately not a 50s romp though comedy like Some Like It Hot, more of an intelligent satire that's more than average in entertaining and a little bit more lighthearted than Sunset Boulevard.

Rating:
Summary: YaDADUMdeeDOODAHaY
Review: I'm not eggsactly sure how to justify my rating or describe this film. It's not exactly a great, touching, or brilliant film. It's a bit dry. The humor is there but only so long as you're the sort of person to laugh at the bleakest of insights, the bitterest of satires, or the most depressing qualities of society. It is as relevant to the present as it is to it's own time. It is entertaining to a degree, if fairly obvious on the surface. Alec Guinness is a good actor and suits The Man in the White Suit perfectly.

This is the sort of film I can admire, enjoy watching once, reflect upon for a little bit afterwards, get depressed and/or happy about what it implies, type off a quick review, and be done with it. It's definately not a 50s romp though comedy like Some Like It Hot, more of an intelligent satire that's more than average in entertaining and a little bit more lighthearted than Sunset Boulevard.

Rating:
Summary: Charming Ealing Comedy
Review: Lightweight confection about an inventor(Alec Guiness) who invents a fabric that is impervious to dirt. Comic mayhem ensues when a consortium of industrialists and fabric workers get wind of the invention and protest mightily. Guiness is effectively low-key and earnest in his portrayal of the inventor. This film probably had more resonance with British audiences in the wake of the post-war economic situation there. This is a welcome addition to anyone's collection but it falls short of greatness. Interesting to see Michael Gough (a.k.a Alfred the Butler in the "Batman" films) as one of the industrialists.

Rating:
Summary: The single greatest science fiction film made
Review: Not normally considered science fiction, this is actually the genre in its purest form. Sir Alec as this sad-eyed smiling Harold Lloyd type is oddly what we think of when his name is mentioned, even though he has played his share of tough guy roles. And Joan Greenwood manifested her charming schemer/seducer image mainly by this film (love her, but what a creepy voice!). What makes this film science fiction is not chemicals and polymers, it was that wild scene where the landlady let him live rent free!!!!! Were're talking fantasyland, homes!