The Franchise Affair **** (1951, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Ann Stephens, Anthony Nicholls, Marjorie Fielding) – Classic Movie Review 8123

Director Lawrence Huntington’s satisfying 1951 British black and white mystery crime thriller The Franchise Affair is a plush, well-bred version of Josephine Tey’s tricksy, brilliant bestselling novel.

The Franchise Affair stars Michael Denison as English solicitor Robert Blair, who tries to find why teenage schoolgirl Betty Kane (Ann Stephens) has accused Marion Sharpe (Dulcie Gray) and her mother Mrs Sharpe (Marjorie Fielding) of kidnapping and beating her. John Bailey plays Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant, who investigates on behalf of the law, along with local Police Inspector Hallam (Martin Boddey).

There is plenty of old-style entertainment value to be found in co-writer/ director Lawrence Huntington’s spick-and-span version of the intriguing puzzle thriller, based on the 18th-century historical incident case of Elizabeth Canning, a maidservant who claimed she had been kidnapped and held prisoner for a month.

The husband and wife star couple seem to be enjoying themselves exuberantly – deservedly so, with roles to get their teeth into – and they are backed by a fine, on-form Fifties British cast. Everyone seems fired up by the strong material and the witty dialogue, and there is plenty of it.

Especially good are Marjorie Fielding as the imperious old lady Mrs Sharpe: (‘We’ve just flown in on our broomsticks for a cup of hot blood’), Athene Seyler as Blair’s gossipy aunt Lin, Anthony Nicholls as Blair’s sympathetic friend QC Kevin McDermott, Avice Landone as the stepmother Mrs Wynn and Kenneth More as the car mechanic. There are lots of interesting characters and lots of interesting character actors to play them. It is Denison who holds the centre firm, showing his class as an actor, but it is the women who are memorable, showing their style as character actors.

The prejudiced small-time atmosphere is neatly summed up and successfully mined for its truth and entertainment value by Huntington. He keeps up a tense, suspenseful atmosphere, and delivers a taut, swift-paced movie, packing a lot of stuff into around just 90 minutes, handling the courtroom climax effectively.

Also in the cast are Hy Hazell, Maureen Glynne, Peter Jones, Moultrie Kelsall, Martin Boddey, Patrick Troughton, Hugh Moxey, John Warwick, Ernest Jay, Everley Gregg, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Jean Anderson, Harold Lang and Victor Maddern.

The screenplay is by Robert Hall and Lawrence Huntington, faithfully adapted from Josephine Tey’s novel, and the film is shot in black and white by Günther Krampf. It is made by Associated British, and distributed by Associated British-Pathé and Stratford.

The UK Crime Writers’ Association named The Franchise Affair one of The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time in 1990.

The Franchise Affair has also been adapted twice for TV, in 1962 (with Michael Aldridge as Blair and Rosalie Crutchley as Marion Sharpe) and 1988 (with Patrick Malahide as Blair and Joanna McCallum as Marion Sharpe), and once for radio in 2005.

The Franchise Affair is directed by Lawrence Huntington, runs 95 minutes, is made by Associated British Picture Corporation, is released by Associated British-Pathé (1950) (UK) and Stratford Pictures Corporation (1952) (US), is written by Robert Hall and Lawrence Huntington, based on the novel by Josephine Tey, is shot in black and white by Günther Krampf, is produced by Robert Hall, is scored by Philip Green and is designed by Wilfred Eades [Wilfrid G Eades].

It is shot at Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England.

The Franchise Affair is released by Network on Region 2 DVD.

The cast are Michael Denison as Robert Blair, Dulcie Gray as Marion Sharpe, Anthony Nicholls as Kevin McDermott, Marjorie Fielding as Mrs Sharpe, Athene Seyler as Aunt Lin, John Bailey as Detective Inspector Grant, Ann Stephens as Betty Kane, Hy Hazell as Mrs Chadwick, Kenneth More as Stanley Peters, Avice Landone as Mrs Wynn, Maureen Glynne as Rose Glynn, Peter Jones as Bernard Chadwick, Moultrie Kelsall as Judge, Martin Boddey as Inspector Hallam, Patrick Troughton as Bill Brough, Hugh Moxey as Counsel for prosecution, John Warwick as Carley, Ernest Jay as Ramsden, Everley Gregg as Mrs Jarrett, Ambrosine Phillpotts as Miss Spence, Jean Anderson as Miss Tuff, Harold Lang as Bus inspector, John Forrest as Leslie Wynn, Lawrence Ray as Albert the waiter, Victor Maddern as Bus mechanic, Doris York as Christina, and Will Ambro as Heseltine.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8123

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