Two on the Tiles
1951 British film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Two on the Tiles (also known as School for Wives;[1] U.S. title: School for Brides.[2]) is a 1951 British comedy film directed by John Guillermin and starring Herbert Lom, Hugh McDermott and Brenda Bruce.[1][3] It was produced by Nigel and Roger Proudlock and written by Alec Coppel.[4]
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Roger Proudlock
Roger Proudlock
| Two on the Tiles | |
|---|---|
British quad poster | |
| Directed by | John Guillermin |
| Written by | Alec Coppel (uncredited) Roger Proudlock |
| Story by | Roger Proudlock |
| Produced by | Nigel Proudlock Roger Proudlock |
| Starring | Herbert Lom Hugh McDermott Brenda Bruce Ingeborg von Kusserow Humphrey Lestocq |
| Cinematography | Ray Elton |
| Edited by | Robert Jordan Hill |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Grand National Pictures (UK) Hoffberg Productions (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
A married couple, Dick and Janet Lawson, both face temptations while separated for a few days. Dick meets Madeleine, an attractive female fellow-traveller in Paris while Janet accidentally spends a night aboard a Royal Navy ship with Jimmy Bradley, a male friend after she is stranded following a party. Despite knowing the essential innocence of both husband and wife, their sinister new butler, Ford, uses information about their escapades to demand blackmail payments.
Cast
- Herbert Lom as Ford
- Hugh McDermott as Dick Lawson
- Brenda Bruce as Janet Lawson
- Ingeborg von Kusserow as Madeleine
- Humphrey Lestocq as Jimmy Bradley
- Armand Guinle as Pierre
- Basil Dignam as ship's Captain
- Les Compagnons de la Chanson as themselves
- Hyma Beckley as hotel receptionist
Production
The film was made at Walton Studios by the independent Vandyke Productions for release as a second feature. It was one of three back-to-back productions Guillermin directed for the company at Walton Studios, along with Smart Alec and Four Days.[5]
Critical reception
Variety wrote "there is enough wry humor and sexy angles to sustain interest in this film."[6]
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The piece is well acted on the whole and the efforts of Dick and Janet to prevent Ford from giving them away are amusing enough; the material and handling, however, are hackneyed and obvious."[7]
Picturegoer wrote: "Hugh McDermott and Humphrey Lestocq show they are excellent comedians – for the theatre. Brenda Bruce works hard, but the photography in close-ups doesn't help her much. Ironically, the only one with a light touch is the blackmailing butler, as played by Lom."[8]
TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, calling it an "innocuous comedy," but also finding it "enjoyable."[9][dead link]