1946 film
Quiet Weekend is a 1946 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Derek Farr, Frank Cellier, Marjorie Fielding, George Thorpe and Barbara White. A family try to relax during a weekend holiday in the country.[2] It was a sequel to the 1941 film Quiet Wedding, with several of the actors reprising their roles. It was based on the long running 1941 West End play Quiet Weekend and shot at Welwyn Studios, Welwyn Garden City and Berkshire.[3][4][2]
Director Harold French called it "pleasant enough in its silly way".[5]
Plot
The Royds drive down to their spacious cottage in the country. Denys informs his mother Mildred, the matriarch of the family, that he has invited Rowena Hyde. She shows up in a chauffeur-driven car. Also making an appearance is patriarch Arthur Royd's friend Adrian Barrasford. The pair go fishing. When Adrian reveals he is very fond of Mary Jarrow, Arthur invites him to supper, as Mary will be there. Miranda Bute, nearly eighteen years old, is another surprise guest. Mildred becomes a bit concerned, as she knows that Miranda, her niece, is attached to Denys (though he himself is oblivious), making for an awkward situation.
When Miranda discovers that Denys has turned down an attractive job offer because there was "just no money in it", she is sure there is "something behind this". Then she encounters Rowena, who informs her that Denys has accepted a well-paying job in Hollywood as a private secretary, rather than pursuing a career as a scenic designer. She eventually quarrels with Denys over his decision.
Adrian takes Arthur and Mildred's advice to make his intentions known, only to have Mary misconstrue his proposal as an offer to sell her his house. He, on the other hand, thinks she has turned down his offer of marriage.
Denys and Rowena go to a party of her upper-class friends. He becomes annoyed when she chooses Paul Perry (Denys's future employer) instead of him as her partner in a game.
Meanwhile, Arthur, Adrian and Sam sneak off to do some poaching; Miranda joins them, and after much searching, they catch a large salmon. However, they are spotted and chased by the authorities. Miranda flags down a passing car, which turns out to be driven by Denys. He lies to a policeman to keep her out of trouble and takes her home, where she changes down to her smalls and keeps herself warm in Denys' dressing gown. Arthur and Adrian eventually show up, but Sam is caught and taken into custody. Arthur has to get Adrian, in his official capacity as the local justice of the peace, to allow him to bail out their fellow poacher.
The next morning, Miranda is delighted to learn that Denys has changed his mind and declined the Hollywood job. It soon becomes apparent that he has also drastically changed his view of Miranda as well. Adrian, emboldened by his experience the night before, proposes to and is accepted by Mary. The Royds depart.
Critical reception
The Radio Times wrote, "as anyone familiar with Anthony Asquith's classic comedy of manners Quiet Wedding will know, the title of this disappointing sequel is ironic in the extreme. Although also based on an Esther McCracken play, the screenplay lacks the crisp chaos of the original co-written by Terence Rattigan. Consequently, the romantic tangles of Derek Farr and the poaching misadventures of George Thorpe and magistrate Frank Cellier fail to deliver the laughs deserving of such whole-hearted playing";[6] while TV Guide wrote, "another successful adaptation of a popular Esther McCracken play...Funny and well performed".[7]
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