No Place for Jennifer ** (1950, Leo Genn, Rosamund John, Janette Scott, Beatrice Campbell, Guy Middleton) – Classic Movie Review 12,973

The heart-tugging 1950 British film No Place for Jennifer stars Janette Scott as the young girl Jennifer who is traumatised when her parents divorce and her father remarries.

Director Henry Cass’s 1950 British film No Place for Jennifer is based on the novel No Difference to Me by Phyllis Hambledon, and stars Leo Genn, Rosamund John, Beatrice Campbell, and Guy Middleton. Janette Scott plays the young girl Jennifer who is traumatised when her parents divorce.

When her parents seek a divorce, and her father (Leo Genn) remarries to her teacher (Rosamund John), their unconsolable, traumatised and hard-to-control nine-year-old child Jennifer (Janette Scott) runs away from home, is despatched to a children’s home, but ends up in the bosom of a loving family.

When originally released in 1950, audiences flocked to the cinemas in droves and left in tears. The impact of the film is hardly as strong today, with its rather plodding pace and lack of objectivity and sophistication to the subject, while the acting, especially by the then 11-year-old Scott, is too schmaltzy for words.

Nevertheless, it still has some appeal for those who enjoy a wallow, with a solid basis in J Lee Thompson’s carefully written, heart-tugging screenplay, and Henry Cass’s expert direction.

The cast are Leo Genn as William, Rosamund John as Rachel Kershaw, Beatrice Campbell as Paula, Guy Middleton as Brian Stewart, Janette Scott as Jennifer, Anthony Nicholls as Baxter, Jean Cadell as Aunt Jacqueline, Megs Jenkins as Mrs Marshall, Philip Ray as Mr Marshall, Edith Sharpe as Doctor, Ann Codrington as Miss Hancock, Brian Smith as Martin Marshall, André Morell as Counsel, Anthony Wager as Ted, William Simons as Jeremy, James Fox, MacDonald Hobley, and Lockwood West.

No Place for Jennifer is directed by Henry Cass, runs 89 minutes, is made by Associated British, is released by Associated British-Pathé, is written by J Lee Thompson, based on the novel No Difference to Me by Phyllis Hambledon, is shot in black and white by William McLeod, is produced by Hamilton G Inglis, and is scored by Allan Gray.

Release date: 20 February 1950.

Thora Janette Scott (born 14 December 1938)  is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She is remembered for The Devil’s Disciple (1959), School for Scoundrels (1960), and The Day of the Triffids (1962 ).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,973

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