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Over the Garden Wall (1950 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Over the Garden Wall' is a 1950 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Norman Evans, Jimmy James and Dan Young. The film was made at Mancunian Films at their Dickenson Road Studios in Manchester. Although made on a low-budget, the film often topped double bills at cinemas in the North of England because of the popularity of the performers.Chibnall & McFarlane p.41
Plot
Working class couple Fanny and Joe (Norman Evans and Jimmy James), are determined to give their daughter Mary (Sonya O'Shea) and her husband a posh home coming party. Trouble arises when the son of Joe's boss (Frederick Bradshaw) turns up and shamelessly flirts with their daughter.
Cast
* Norman Evans as Fanny Lawton
* Jimmy James as Joe Lawton
* Dan Young as Dan
* Alec Pleon as Alec
* Sonya O'Shea as Mary Harrison
* Frederick Bradshaw as Ken Smith
* Agnes Bernelle as Val Westwood
* Neville Brook as Mr. Smith
* John Wynn as Tony Harrison
* Patrick Baring
* Billy Howard
* Langley Howard
* Eli Woods as Eli
Legacy
Despite its popularity, 'Over the Garden Wall' was poorly regarded at the time by the National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC), who decided to withdraw financial support from Mancunian Films. The NFFC chairman, Lord Reith, expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of Mancunian's comedy productions; of 'Over the Garden Wall ' (1950), Reith said it was not "of as high a quality as the Corporation would have wished".
Norman Evans' appearance in drag as Fanny Lawton was an influential performance in the history of female impersonation on-screen, and his character later inspired the comedian Les Dawson with his comedy drag act as Cissy Braithwaite.
References
Bibliography
* Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. 'The British 'B' Film'. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.
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