Main Cast: Beatrice Campbell, Kay Walsh, Coco Aslan, Jean Colin
Release Year: 1950
Country: UK
Run Time: 89 minutes
Plot
Informed that he has only a short time to live, salesman Alec Guinness decides to enjoy his last months to the fullest. He withdraws all his savings from the bank and heads to a posh hotel. Here he makes more contacts and opens more professional doors than he'd ever done before, thanks to his willingness--at long last--to take risks. He also spends every penny that he's earned in life. Then he discovers that the doctor's diagnosis was in error, and that he's in no danger of imminent death. An ironic ending caps this fast-paced black comedy. Last Holiday was co-written and co-produced by J. B. Priestly, author of many other "if I had to do it all over again" pieces, notably An Inspector Calls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Like the earlier Nothing Sacred, Last Holiday deals with a person who has been misdiagnosed with a fatal disease and opts to go out with a bang. Unlike Sacred, however, the misdiagnosis does not get cleared up until late in the film; more importantly, while Holiday is definitely a comedy, there's a palpable undercurrent of melancholy, sadness and regret that gives it a unique and appealing flavor. Like much of screenwriter J.B. Priestley's work, the script is somewhat too schematic and the structure is not always as well disguised as one might wish. This is especially true when the film reaches it ironic ending; however, over all, it works well. It's also a plus that the author's political views are presented in a fairly understated manner, adding rather than detracting from the proceedings. Holiday's biggest asset is its star. Alec Guinness gives another of his well-drawn, acutely observed performances that combine a naturalness with an awareness of pacing, theme and the need for a star performance to hold a picture together. He is well supported by the sympathy-rousing Kay Walsh, who melds both vulnerability and a crusty shell very effectively. Guinness would follow the quite-good-but-not-great Holiday with a series of superior films, including The Man in the White Suit. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Muriel George - Lady Oswington; Brian Worth - Derek Rockingham; Bernard Lee - Inspector Wilton; Helen Cherry - Miss Mellows; Wilfrid Hyde-White - Chalfont; Sidney James - Joe Clarence; Esma Cannon - Miss Fox; Alec Guinness - George Bird; Arthur Howard - Burden; Harry Hutchinson - Michael the Waiter; Moultrie Kelsall - Sir Robert Kyle; Eric Maturin - Wrexham; Hal Osmond - Trade Union Man; Brian Oulton - Prescott; Ernst Thesiger - Sir Trevor Lampington; Lockwood West - Dinsdale; Leslie Weston - William the Waiter; Heather Wilde - Maggie the Maid; Meier Tzelniker - Baltin; Campbell Cotts - Bellinghurst; Ronald Simpson - Dr. Pevensey; David McCallum Sr. - Blind Fiddler
Credit
Duncan Sutherland - Art Director, Henry Cass - Director, Monica Kimick - Editor, Francis Chagrin - Composer (Music Score), Louis Levy - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ray Elton - Cinematographer, J.B. Priestley - Producer, A.D. Peters - Producer, Stephen Mitchell - Producer, J.B. Priestley - Screenwriter
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