The Admirable Crichton (1957 film)
| The Admirable Crichton | |
|---|---|
Original British cinema poster
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| Directed by | Lewis Gilbert |
| Produced by | Ian Dalrymple |
| Screenplay by |
Vernon Harris Lewis Gilbert (adaptation) |
| Based on |
The Admirable Crichton by J. M. Barrie |
| Starring |
Kenneth More Diane Cilento Cecil Parker Sally Ann Howes |
| Music by | Douglas Gamley |
| Cinematography | Wilkie Cooper |
| Edited by | Peter R. Hunt |
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Production
company |
Modern Screenplay Productions
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| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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94 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Admirable Crichton (released in the United States as Paradise Lagoon) is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Kenneth More, Diane Cilento, Cecil Parker, and Sally Ann Howes. The film was based on J. M. Barrie's 1902 stage comedy of the same name.
In 1905 William Crichton (Kenneth More) is the efficient butler in the London household of the Earl of Loam (Cecil Parker) and his family. Crichton knows his place in the highly class-conscious English society. The Earl insists that all men are equal, and to prove it, he orders his daughters to treat the staff as guests during an uncomfortable afternoon tea. Lady Brocklehurst (Martita Hunt) arrives and strongly disapproves of the arrangement, as does Crichton.
When Lady Catherine (Mercy Haystead), one of the Earl's daughters, is arrested at a suffragette protest, Crichton recommends the family take a trip on the Earl's steam yacht to the South Seas until the scandal dies down. When the yacht's motors explode during a storm, all are forced to abandon ship. By the time Crichton rescues the still sleeping "tweeny" maid Eliza (Diane Cilento), the lifeboats have already departed. They jump into the water and are picked up by the wrong boat, the one reserved for the upper class.
Crichton, Eliza, the Earl, his daughters Mary (Sally Ann Howes), Catherine and Agatha (Miranda Connell), clergyman John Treherne (Jack Watling), and Lord Ernest Woolley (Gerald Harper) land on a deserted island. The aristocrats prove to be helpless in their strange new surroundings. It is up to Crichton to start a fire, provide shelter, and find food.
When the abandoned yacht appears and drifts into an offshore rock formation, Crichton swims out to salvage what he can. Upon his return, however, the others order him to pick up unnecessary luxuries rather than vital supplies on his next trip. He reluctantly complies, but at dinner, he insists he must take charge. The Earl instead discharges him. Eliza throws in her lot with Crichton, and the two depart.
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