The Card

"He's the cheekiest man in town!"

1952 1h 25m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 42

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A charming and ambitious young man finds many ways to raise himself through the ranks in business and social standing - some honest, some not quite so. If he can just manage to avoid a certain very predatory woman.

“He's the cheekiest man in town!”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Alec Guinness
Edward Henry 'Denry' Machin
Glynis Johns
Ruth Earp
Valerie Hobson
Countess of Chell
Petula Clark
Nellie Cotterill
Edward Chapman
Mr. Duncalf
Veronica Turleigh
Mrs. Machin
George Devine
Mr. Calvert
Joan Hickson
Mrs. Codleyn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ronald Neame
Writers: Eric Ambler
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Oswald Morris. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Clive Donner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alec Guinness and Glynis Johns and Valerie Hobson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He's the cheekiest man in town!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ronald Neame directs. Oswald Morris behind the camera. William Alwyn scores. Clive Donner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Oswald Morris. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Clive Donner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Alec Guinness and Glynis Johns and Valerie Hobson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He's the cheekiest man in town!".
9IMDB entry: tt0045056 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 11 themes, including "bankrupt", "ambition", "opportunist", "rags to riches".

The technical file

Cinematography: Oswald Morris
Original score: William Alwyn
Editing: Clive Donner
Costume design: Sophie Devine
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Card (1952)

Also by

Ronald Neame

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-09-11
★ 7/10
Ronald Name has done quite a good job turning Arnold Bennett's amiable rags-to-riches tale into a throughly watchable film. Alec Guinness ("Denry" - an amalgam of Edward and Henry) is the aspiring son of a lowly washerwoman (Veronica Turleigh). Determined to better his lot, he happens upon the wallet lost by local lawyer/bigwig "Duncalf" (Edward Chapman). Honesty always being the best (and expedient) policy, he returns it and is soon his clerk; a menially clerical position that first introduces him to the rather daunting "Countess of Chell" (Valerie Hobson), Now he begins to set his sights on greater civic (and personal) success. She and his employer are hosting a grand ball and for that - to which he has invited himself - he must learn a few social skills, like dancing. That's where Glynis Johns' "Miss Earp" comes in, and the scene is now set for a few fun escapades as up the greasy pole he goes, finding true love en route. It's tightly cast, with only a few speaking parts, and that keeps the plot focussed and the pace moving along well. The writing delivers a jolly film: a little comedy disaster, some silly frolics and wonderfully charming performances from Guinness and his frequently quite manipulative co-star Miss Johns. There's a little social commentary to beef it up; the deference shown to the benecfactrix Countess by those living on the breadline is presented well with Hobson ideally cast as the woman far more pragmatic about her role in society that many of the sycophants around her. There are also some quite poignant scenes depicting the overall perspective of many people to know - and stick to - their place! All work well together and it's certainly one of Guinness' better efforts.

Production companies