(Published Simultaneously on my festivalofbritain1951 blogspot)
‘The Happy
Family’ (1952) stars Stanley Holloway and Kathleen Harrison; with fabulous
supporting roles for Dandy Nichols and George Cole. And a rabbit called
Winston. It is a film about the Festival
of Britain, which took place in 1951. It offers an angle on the much-loved-in-retrospect
festival that I am not so familiar with
– this being the argument against why it should not have taken place. It was something of a disappointment to find
some of my favourite actors working for the anti-festival side – but having
finally seen the film I can forgive them. This is because it is very funny with some
absolutely corking scenes and hilarious exchanges. My particular favourite goes something like
this:
Married
daughter: “We’re expecting your first
grandchild.”
Mother,
repeating an oft used phrase: “Oooh I never did!”
Teenage
daughter: “Oh Mum, yes you did.”
Stanley and
Kathleen play Mr and Mrs Lord. They live
on the south bank of the Thames near Waterloo Station. Mr Lord is in the process of retiring from
his job as an engine driver while Mrs Lord runs their corner shop, humorously
called “The House of Lords.” Despite having
lost a son in the war, they are contented with their lot. However, the film is set in March 1951 and
the opening of the festival is just 6 weeks away. Planners at the festival’s
South Bank site, just across the road, realise that they have made an error in
the measurements. A road leading into
the site, which was supposed to run past the Lords’ house and shop, will
actually need to go straight through it.
The Lords are told that they must leave immediately, and they are
offered compensation and a new abode in Harrow.
As you might imagine, Mr and Mrs Lord are having none of it.
 |
| Stanley Holloway by @aitchteee |
In scenes that
are sometimes reminiscent of ‘Passport to Pimlico’; when the authorities are so
inept that they can’t do anything to help the Lords appeal, they revolt. They barricade themselves in and refuse to
budge when officials and police come to evict the family. Both Harrison and Holloway are given rousing
monologues about their lives and their plight, they identify themselves as the
underdog, knowing that the British love it when the underdog bites back.
But what this
film boils down to is an emotional complaint about the Festival of Britain in
relation to the contemporary housing problem. It shows the course that
opponents to the event took – they drew attention to the spending taking place
in relation to that needed to build homes to replace those lost in the
Blitz. The Festival official who first
visits the Lords to break the news (Mr Filch, played by Naunton Wayne)
re-iterates that £6 million is being spent – and this is money that will be
written off, there is no chance of recouping most of it. The Lords’ eldest daughter actually states at
this point that this money could have been used to build many homes. From this
point onwards, we know where we stand and where this is going. We are being shown that the Lords’ home
represents several thousand homes that were not built because of the festival –
that people were being denied their own castles because of this frippery. Winston Churchill was famously against the
Festival, overseeing its complete dismantling on his return to power later in 1951. That Mr Lord has named his beloved pet rabbit
Winston is perhaps another indication of where the loyalties lie in this film.
In the end,
the Lords win their battle and their house is left as an island in the new road
scheme. I can’t help thinking that they would come to regret their new
situation. But it was interesting to see
that there was some rebellion against this glorious opportunity for Britain to
enjoy itself after many dark years. Well, we like to have a moan, we British, don’t
we? And this is one big moan, delivered
through the medium of film. And I have
to say, I love it!
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