Genevieve: The Rank Collection

I began by reading the Trivia notes before watching the movie. There is one about the lady who plays the trumpet like Harry James. A suggestive trait, the notes said, oh, so naughty. I found the note pretentious until I saw the scene and stopped to think about it. I mean, since when to bimbos get up in movies and play the trumpet on a lark, and outdo the best trumpet players? Only when it's in the script and in the script to bring something out in the movie that you might not have noticed. I guess I'm still naive, because I wouldn't have noticed. The two main characters are such nice people, husband and wife. They could have been Doris Day and James Garner. Ken More is the racy guy. I wouldn't have understood just how racy without the trumpet scene. These annual excursions to Brighton were just opportunities for him to get a woman down there with him for an overnight. He had even had Gregson's wife of three years down there once four years previously and Gregson who knew his rakish friend well was now all worried about what they had done. He never finds out. But it does turn this innocent looking movie into a big sexual prowess kind of match between Gregson and More.

Genevieve is a delightful British comedy from 1953, winner of both the BAFTA (British Oscars) Best British Film and the Golden Globe Best Foreign Film awards. It is a story of two antique car buffs (John Gregson and Kenneth More) who through circumstance and misadventure end up challenging each other to a grudge-match race from Brighton to London. The comedic trials are shared by a long-suffering wife (Dinah Sheridan) and a new girlfriend (Kay Kendall).I had remembered Genevieve fondly from my one childhood viewing over 50 years ago, and had wanted a copy for many years. I eventually found a British release that required a region 2 DVD player, but its picture quality was marginal. A later Korean copy was worse. Now this fine film is available on Blu-ray, and playable on North American players. The video and sound are not reference quality, but nonetheless satisfactory, and likely the best we will ever get. A note on aspect ratios: films made before 1954 were in the aspect ratio of 1.37 to 1. This was "full screen" on the old 4:3 televisions. Modern screens are 16:9, and much better for displaying widescreen films. Those who are distressed by black bands to the left and right on their television screen when viewing old films in so-called "full" mode can merely push the "picture size" button ("pic size", or "format") on your TV remote to change the aspect ratio. This will result in some distortion of the picture or loss of image at the edges. When viewing an old movie I always run through the options by repeatedly pressing the format button, then selecting the image that looked best. Almost invariably for old 1.37:1 films this is either "full" (with black bars at the sides) or "justify" (or "just"), which stretches the left and right edges to fill the screen, but stretches the center image less so distortion is not obvious.Genevieve is typical of the good-natured comedies released by the J. Arthur Rank Organization and the Ealing Studios during the 1950s, and is considered by many to be the best of its kind. Its technical aspects will not wow you, but its story will warm you immediately, and then again every time you think of it thereafter.

I saw this years ago and wanted to see it again. It never shows up on tv or streaming sites. I waited until it was released again, happily in HD, and it's just as brilliant as I remember. While helping shoot Kenneth More to fame, it is mostly an enduring reminder of the great talent and tragic loss of the great comedic beauty, Kay Kendall (worth looking up her bio). And it's darned funny as well. While almost an indie of its time, it stands against any of the great English comedies of the period and is still just as funny today as it was in its era. And it also was pretty risque in its day. It wouldn't have passes muster in the US... what really happened that weekend More and Dinah Sheridan went off to Brighton before she married John Gregson? Spicy stuff. And the whole story is stolen by the car Genevieve herself. You'll want to start drive casual rally races next weekend.

Genevieve is one of those wonderful 1950's British comedies that prove that if you have a smart script and good actors, you are three quarters of the way home. Combine that with an atmospheric soundtrack on the mouth organ by Larry Adler that transports you to a magically nostalgic world of 50's Britain.The film is about two friends who are veteran car nuts and the long suffering women in their lives. They are entered in the two-day London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and the film follows the trials and tribulations the two couples have getting their cars the 58 miles there and back again. The film may not provoke huge laughter or be terribly deep, but it is endlessly watchable, largely due to the great chemistry all the actors have with each other. Gregson, More, Sheridan and Kendall are all on top form, helped no end by playing fully rounded out, believable characters. The same can be said for all the lesser roles too. Joyce Grenfell has a wonderful cameo as the concierge of the abjectly awful hotel Alan and Wendy (Gregson and Sheridan) are forced to stay in when they finally arrive in Brighton.Image quality on the blu ray is a little soft and a little red shifted on occasions (understandable given that the film is nearly 60 years old) but otherwise is easily the best version of the movie available.It is a little light on extras, a good documentary on the making of the film and a gallery of images.If you like the Ealing style of British comedies, then you are going to enjoy this one no end. Just sit back and marvel at the seeming effortless of a near perfect movie.

What an absolute puff of fresh air! This beautiful little film, like an old English 'chocolate box' of 'innocent' bygone adventure, is a pleasure to behold and boasts an intriguing cast into the bargain. Kenneth More is the best friend of John Gregson and both enjoy the annual London to Brighton vintage car run that they take part in. 'Genevieve' is the latters car and the star of the show in name and presence and this lovely little film tells it's tale with ease and comfort concerning the escapades of the two male leads and their respective ladies as a bet develops for the return leg of the run that then of course becomes a race (which is incidentally against the rules of the club!) as each tries to outdo the other in turn to be the first back to the capital to cross Westminster bridge. Some Underhand methods are employed on route by KM but all done in the best british way of course and completely tongue in cheek! The breaking down of these vintage motorcars and the inevitable repairing thereof in order to continue on, all add to the overall charm of this classic picture and it's interesting capture of the shops, buildings, roads and countryside of the time (1952/3) work as an important documentation for those interested in the historical aspects of this film and also offer an opportunity to immerse yourself within its pleasant premise for a few well invested hours.

For the record: this is not a movie, it's a film. And a British film at that. I remember studying for finals and coming downstairs for a break and this being on the telly. I was so up against it that I only watched half of it and promised myself I'd buy it once I'd left University. I bring it out once in a while and enjoy the feeling.

I took a gamble on this USA region1 bluray after reading a number of reviews that it would in fact play on R2 players and at such a fair price it was worth a punt. Well it does play very happily on my Sony which is some years old but I would advise to make sure your firmwear is updated which can be found on the makers web site. It's a movie I am very fond of and is much brighter in bluray though I could still see some movement of film in it's frame that I thought could have been fixed in restoration but only very minor and otherwise much better than DVD copy.

Firstly, it seems bizarre that to watch this fantastic film on Blu-Ray, you have to buy it from the U.S., as it's not available in the U.K. at the present time. Thankfully, the disc is not region locked, so I was able to watch it in all of it's restored technicolor glory. Being a VCI release, I was slightly unsure about whether or not to actually buy it at first, after reading reviews for their release of "Northwest Frontier", which, although stating region free, actually isn't."Genevieve" is a fantastic little film and has never looked better. As far as sound goes, I made the mistake of selecting 5.1 on my system, which frankly, just doesn't sound right at all. I would suggest sticking with the original mono soundtrack instead.

This film was one of our families favourites. Watched every year (at least once a year) since 1967 it remains a humorous well told story set in simpler time and reflects past time relationships. Well filmed and cast. A great release from 21st century living.