Quartet

Plot

The first of three well-received "omnibus" films hosted by Somerset Maugham, Quartet features four of Maugham's most celebrated stories, each introduced by the author himself. In "The Facts of Life," a seemingly innocent British youth (Jack Watling) is targeted for a shakedown by a beautiful adventuress (Mai Zetterling), while Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne perform their usual brilliant byplay. In "The Alien Corn," a young aristocrat (Dirk Bogarde) hopes to become a professional concert pianist. "The Kite" tells the story of a preoccupied inventor (George Cole) who places his hobbies ahead of his wife (Susan Shaw) as an indirect means of defying his dominating mother (Hermione Badderly). The film concludes with "The Colonel's Lady," wherein the title character (Nora Swinburne) embarrasses her stuffy husband (Cecil Parker) by publishing a torrid volume of romantic poetry. Each of the short tales in Quartet possesses its own mood, pace and rhythm, and each is a gem in its own right. The popularity of Quartet resulted in two more Maugham compendiums, Trio and Encore, not to mention the multistoried American film O. Henry's Full House. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast

• Basil Radford - Henry Garnet
• Naunton Wayne - Leslie
• Dirk Bogarde - George Bland
• Ian Fleming - Ralph
• George Cole - Herbert Sunbury
• Jack Raine - Thomas
• Angela Baddeley - Mrs. Garnet
• Cecil Parker - Col. Peregrine

Nora Swinburne - Mrs. Peregrine; Jack Watling - Nicky; Nigel Buchanan - John; Mai Zetterling - Jeanne; Raymond Lovell - Sir Frederick Bland; Irene Browne - Lady Bland; Honor Blackman - Paula; George Thorpe - Uncle John; Mary Hinton - Aunt Maud; Françoise Rosay - Lea Makart; Bernard Lee - Prison Visitor; Frederick Leister - Governor; George Merritt - Prison Officer; David Cole - Herbeil, boy; Hermione Baddeley - Beatrice Sunbury; Mervyn Johns - Samuel Sunbury; Susan Shaw - Betty; Cyril Chamberlain - Reporter; Claud Allister - First Club Man; Wilfrid Hyde-White - Second Club Man; Ernst Thesiger - Henry Dashwood; Henry Edwards - Duke of Cleverel; Linden Travers - Daphne; Felix Aylmer - Maryin; John Salew - John Coleman; Lynn Evans - Bannock; Cyril Raymond - Railway Passenger; Clive Morton - Henry Blane; Margaret Withers - Gushing Woman; James Robertson Justice - Branksome; John H. Roberts - West; French Ralph Smart

Credit

George Provis - Art Director, Ken Annakin - Director, Arthur Crabtree - Director, Harold French - Director, Ralph Smart - Director, Jean Baker - Editor, A. Charles Knott - Editor, Sydney Box - Executive Producer, John Greenwood - Composer (Music Score), Muir Mathieson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ray Elton - Cinematographer, Anthony Darnborough - Producer, R.C. Sherriff - Screenwriter, W. Somerset Maugham - Short Story Author

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