Poet's Pub (1949)
1h 19m | PG-13
A loosely structured comedy allowing for a series of vignettes based around an ancient coaching inn. The story was adapted from the 1929 novel by Scottish writer Erik Linklater.
Director: Frederick Wilson
Studio: Aquila Film Enterprises
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
Video: 720p
Cast
Derek Bond
as Saturday Keith
Rona Anderson
as Joanna Benbow
James Robertson Justice
as Prof. Benbow
John McLaren
as Elmer Van Buren
Barbara Murray
as Nelly Bly
Peter Croft
as Quentin Cotton
Reviews
This opens up with a quite a fun exchange between poet "Saturday Keith" (Derek Bond) - "Frankly, sir, I'm lost for words" and literary critic "Prof. Benbow" (James Robertson Justice) - "I know, sir, I've read your works..." that rather sets the tone for this light-hearted post-war comedy set in a rustic inn that is struggling to make ends meet. The not-so-hot poet is, rather imprudently, made the manager of this establishment and as he gradually falls for "Joanna" (Rona Anderson) - the daughter of his nemesis - what ensues is a rather entertainingly prickly love story that also finds itself embroiled in a little kidnapping intrigue - and, the mystery of a secret room! I always found that Joyce Grenfell could light up the screen just by smiling, and though that's just about all she does here, she and JRJ do just about enough to keep Eric Linklater's jolly whimsy enjoyable for eighty minutes with some borderline farce and silliness. No, you will not remember watching it half an hour after it's done, but it is still worth a watch to see some true professionals make a small silk purse from a bit of a sow's ear.