The Crowded Day

The Crowded Day
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Guillermin
Produced by	David Dent
Written by	John Paddy Carstairs Moie Charles Talbot Rothwell
Starring	John Gregson Joan Rice Josephine Griffin Cyril Raymond
Music by	Edwin Astley
Cinematography	Gordon Dines
Edited by	Max Benedict
Distributed by	Adelphi Films
Release date	October 1954
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Crowded Day is a 1954 British comedy-drama film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Gregson, Joan Rice, Cyril Raymond and Josephine Griffin. The film follows a group of shopgirls working in Bunting and Hobbs, a London department store, during the Christmas shopping season. It was released in the U.S. under the title Shop Spoiled.

The Christmas holidays are approaching, and a group of shopgirls head to their jobs at Bunting and Hobbs, a busy London department store. Peggy French (Joan Rice) is upset at her shopman fiance, Leslie Randall (John Gregson), because he refuses to sell his vintage car, "Bessie", that takes up all of his time and money. Peggy notes that he went to a car club meeting the previous night instead of taking her on a date, that he spends on the car instead of saving so they can get married, and that he has not even bought her an engagement ring. As they head into their respective jobs in the furnishings and estates departments, they quarrel and Peggy breaks off their engagement. She also refuses to let Leslie take her to the staff Christmas party that night, and leads him to believe that she has been dating the kind but very proper personnel manager, Philip Stanton (Cyril Raymond). In reality, although Mr Stanton is charmed by Peggy, he is not interested in fraternizing with any of the shopgirls as that is improper for a manager and could cost him his job.

Leslie attempts to win Peggy back, but his efforts get him reported by Peggy's supervisor Mr Preedy, who has been making romantic overtures to Peggy despite being a married man, and sees Leslie as unwelcome competition for her affections. Leslie also gets reported by his own supervisor after Leslie botches his assignment of showing a house to friends of the store owner, Mr Bunting, because he is distracted by trying to make up with Peggy. Mr Stanton, looking through Leslie's personnel file, sees a report he wrote about promotions and thinks he might transfer Leslie to a higher-paying position in the publicity department. Mr Stanton also gives Leslie's report to Mr Bunting, saying it contains new and useful ideas. Leslie later informs Mr Stanton that he took the ideas for the report out of a book written by Mr Bunting, causing Mr Stanton to worry that he himself will now be sacked for repeating Mr Bunting's own ideas back to him.