Evergreen (film)
| Evergreen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Victor Saville |
| Produced by | Michael Balcon |
| Written by |
Marjorie Gaffney Emlyn Williams Benn W. Levy (Play) |
| Starring |
Jessie Matthews Sonnie Hale Barry MacKay Betty Balfour |
| Music by |
Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart Harry M. Woods |
| Cinematography | Glen MacWilliams |
| Distributed by | Gaumont British |
|
Release date
|
April 1934 (United Kingdom)
|
|
Running time
|
90 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Evergreen is a 1934 Gaumont British musical film, starring Jessie Matthews as a music hall singer, based on the 1930 musical Ever Green, also starring Matthews. Matthews had a dual role as both mother and daughter.
The film was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by Victor Saville. The music was by Rodgers and Hart.
Set in the Edwardian era music halls of London, the popular singing star Harriet Green (Jessie Matthews) delights audiences with her coy rendition of Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow; however she has an illegitimate baby daughter that she keeps secret from the public. Blackmailed into leaving the stage she moves to South Africa to raise her daughter quietly. Years later her daughter, Harriet Hawkes (played by Matthews again), looking remarkably like her mother, returns to London as a young show-biz hopeful. A handsome young publicity man Tommy Thompson (Barry MacKay), convinces a theater producer (Sonnie Hale) to star her in a new revue as the "remarkably preserved" original Harriet Green. The ruse works; however Harriet and Tommy have fallen in love, but the public believes Harriet is a well-preserved 60-year-old and Tommy is her son. The masquerade is revealed when Harriet does a strip-dance to the Harry M. Woods song Over My Shoulder.
Jessie Matthews the popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s had a dual role as music hall star Harriet Green and her daughter Harriet Hawkes. Matthew's real life husband, Sonnie Hale, played the worried theatre producer Leslie Benn. The love interest, publicity man Tommy Thompson, was acted by Barry MacKay. The other main parts are - Maudie, played by Betty Balfour, Marquis of Staines by Ivor MacLaren and Treadwell by Hartley Power.
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