Where There's a Will

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vernon Sewell directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 271 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
• 4Kathleen Harrison and George Cole and Leslie Dwyer carry the top of the cast.
• 5IMDB entry: tt0049948 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 6Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
• 7Classified under 10 themes, including "farm", "dysfunctional family", "romance", "inheritance".

The technical file

Runtime

80 min · 1h 20m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

Where There's a Will (1955) ↗

Also by

Vernon Sewell

• 
  The Wind of Change

  1961 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Jack of Diamonds

  1949 · ★ 8.2
• 
  The Human Jungle

  1963 · ★ 8.2
• 
  The World Owes Me a Living

  1945 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Johnny, You're Wanted

  1956 · ★ 7.0
• 
  Home and Away

  1956 · ★ 7.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2022-11-14
  ★ 6/10

  I suppose most of us, if told we had inherited something, would find our eyes light up. Not so much this family of East London Cockneys who have inherited a run-down old farm in Devon after it's owner had a rather terminal encounter with a land mine. It is about as far away from London as they can go without a passport (assuming any of them actually had one). Upon arrival, they discover it's pretty much a dump and they are keen to just be rid of the place - and, fortunately, there are no shortage of folks wanting to obtain the land. Snag is, one of the family - "Alfie" (Leslie Dwyer) decides that he is tired of working in a bathhouse, and his niece "June" (Ann Hanslip) who is equally fed up with the relentless drudge of 1950s London life decides to help him make a go of the enterprise. What now ensues are a series of enjoyable escapades as they are, quite literally, fleeced by the locals, the ever pervasive Ministry and are soon ruing the day they ever saw the place. It is one of these gently internecine dramas, with everyone trying to pull a flanker before an ending that is as inevitable as it is enjoyable. It's maybe its a bit too basic, this - charming, yes - but the script and characterisations are little better than adaptations that might have worked (or, maybe did) better on the wireless. Still, it is quite a fun tale that raises a smile and makes you rethink that expression about gift horses

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• GE

  George Maynard Productions

Key crew

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• farm
• dysfunctional family
• romance
• inheritance
• housekeeper
• will
• farm house
• cockneys
• londoners
• devon

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical1955-03-01