The Wife's Family
| The Wife's Family | |
|---|---|
 Poster in British Movie Herald | |
| Directed by | Monty Banks |
| Produced by | John Maxwell |
| Screenplay by |
Fred Duprez Val Valentine |
| Based on | the play by Fred Duprez (from an original story by Harry B. Linton and Hal Stephens) |
| Starring |
Gene Gerrard Muriel Angelus Amy Veness |
| Cinematography | Claude Friese-Greene |
| Edited by | A.C. Hammond |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Wardour Films (UK) |
Release dates | 3 June 1931 (London) (UK) |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Wife's Family (also released as My Wife's Family) is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gene Gerrard, Muriel Angelus, and Amy Veness.[1] It was based on the popular stage farce by Fred Duprez.[2] The play was subsequently filmed a further four times: in a Swedish version Svärmor kommer, in 1932;[3] a 1933 Finnish film Voi meitä! Anoppi tulee;[4] and British remakes in 1941 and 1956.[5]
Poster taglines: "His Mother-in-law wasn't born--she was quarried out of solid granite and could lick her weight in wildcats!"[6]
"An inside comedy of the in-laws-the in-bads and all but ingratitude!"[7]
Plot
Farcical confusions ensue when newlywed bride Peggy Gay overhears her husband Jack discussing the purchase of a piano, and somehow understands him to mean he is the father of an illegitimate child.
Cast
- Jack Gay - Gene Gerrard
- Peggy Gay - Muriel Angelus
- Anabella Nagg - Amy Veness
- Noah Nagg - Charles Paton
- Ima Nagg - Dodo Watts
- Willy Nagg - Tom Helmore
- Doc Knott - Jimmy Godden
- Sally - Molly Lamont
- Dolly White - Ellen Pollock
Critical reception
- Allmovie wrote, "the level of humor can be assessed by the fact that the hero's unbearable mother-in-law is named Arabella Nagg."[8]
- Tasmania's The Advocate wrote in 1931, "this big talkie has been described as "Britain's Cyclone of Merriment," and packed houses have greeted it everywhere. "My Wife's Family" can hardly be included in the category of "comedies." Perhaps "super-comedy" would be an applicable term to describe the film's side-splitting qualities, but better still it would be safe to say that "My Wife's Family" has more laughs than "Rookery Nook" and "The Middle Watch" put together."[9]
References
- ↑ The Wife's Family at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ DUPREZ, F.; LINTON, H.B.; STEPHENS, H. (1950). My Wife's Family. A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts. Written and Devised by F. Duprez from the Original Story by Hal Stephens and Harry B. Linton. London. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
- ↑ sv:Svärmor kommer
- ↑ "VOI MEITÄ! ANOPPI TULEE (1933) | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
- ↑ "My Wife's Family (1941) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
- ↑ James Travers. "The Wife's Family - Monty Banks - film review". Frenchfilms.info. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
- ↑ "6p594 MY WIFE'S FAMILY 1sh '31 cool stone litho art of Gene Gerrard, Muriel Angelus!". Emovieposter.com. 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- ↑ "My Wife's Family (1932) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". allmovie.com. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
- ↑ "21 Nov 1931 - AMUSEMENTS. "MY' WIFE'S FAMILY" AT NEW BURNIE TH". Trove.nla.gov.au. 1931-11-21. Retrieved 2014-06-25.