Personal Affair ** (1953, Leo Genn, Gene Tierney, Glynis Johns, Pamela Brown, Walter Fitzgerald, Megs Jenkins, Michael Hordern, Thora Hird) – Classic Movie Review 7082

Director Anthony Pelissier’s 1953 British film Personal Affair stars Leo Genn as Mr Barlow, a married Latin-language teacher as a British school who is the object of the infatuated affections of one of his pupils, 17-year-old Barbara (Glynis Johns). Barlow’s wife Kay (Gene Tierney) warns Barbara off and she runs away, leading to Barlow’s sacking and his implication in the girl’s supposed killing.

Personal Affair is an overblown, dated drama with a weak plot scripted by Lesley Storm from her play A Day’s Mischief, which takes its slight subject matter far too seriously, without any light and shade, and is hard to swallow.

The performances are dignified, though, and the film is in the interesting category as a study in the destructive effects of youthful sexual obsession and unrequited crush.

Also in the cast are Walter Fitzgerald as Barbara’s newspaper journalist father Henry, Megs Jenkins as her homemaker mother Vi, Pamela Brown as her gossipy maiden aunt Evelyn, Walter Fitzgerald, Michael Hordern as the Headmaster, Thora Hird as Mrs. Usher, Martin Boddey as Police Inspector, Norah Gaussen [Gorsen] as Phoebe and Nanette Newman (in her first film) as Sally.

Personal Affair is directed by Anthony Pelissier, runs 82 minutes, is made by Two Cities Films, is distributed by General Film Distributors (UK) and United Artists (US), is written by Lesley Storm, is shot in black and white by Reginald H Wyer, is produced by Anthony Darnborough and Earl St John, is scored by William Alwyn and is designed by Cedric Dawe.

It is shot on location in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, and at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7082

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com