To Brighton with Gladys
| To Brighton with Gladys | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Harry Milton and Percy the penguin in the film | |
| Directed by | George King |
| Written by | John Quin H.M. Raleigh Eliot Stannard |
| Produced by | Harry Cohen |
| Starring | Harry Milton Constance Shotter Kate Cutler |
Production company | George King Productions |
| Distributed by | Fox Film Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 45 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
To Brighton with Gladys (also known as To Brighton with a Bird[1]) is a 1933 British comedy film directed by George King and starring Harry Milton, Constance Shotter and Kate Cutler.[1] It was written by John Quin, H.M. Raleigh and Eliot Stannard, and made at Ealing Studios as a quota quickie.[2][3]
Preservation status
The British Film Institute National Archive holds a collection of ephemera and stills but no film or video materials.[1]
Plot
Lord Bertie Penge is ordered by his wealthy uncle to collect a penguin from the docks and deliver it to a mansion in Brighton. His task arouses the suspicions of his gold-digging fiancée, Daphne, who follows him. She is horrified when Bertie arrives at the mansion accompanied by Florrie, a sympathetic cloakroom girl who has taken pity on him, and carrying a baby (actually the penguin wrapped in a shawl). Following a series of complications, Bertie breaks off his engagement with Daphne to propose to Florrie, and the penguin is safely delivered to its destination.[4]
Cast
- Harry Milton as Bertie Penge
- Constance Shotter as Florrie
- Kate Cutler as Aunt Dorothy
- Sunday Wilshin as Daphne Fitzgerald
- Melville Cooper as Slingby
- Percy as Gladys the penguin[5][6]
Reception
Film Weekly wrote: "A very naive British farce made amusing by the novel idea of introducing a penguin as 'the leading character.' This comical bird, which rejoices in the name of Gladys, is funnier than any of the human players, and its antics ensure quite good light entertainment."[7]
The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Indifferently directed picture saved by Chaplinesque antics of bird who gives an excruciatingly funny inebriation interlude, and succeeds in causing havoc in a tea shop. Slender romantic development takes secondary place to Gladys. Second feature for popular patrons."[4]
References
- 1 2 3 "To Brighton with Gladys". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 140. ISBN 978-1844571550.
- ↑ Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.
- 1 2 "To Brighton with Gladys". The Daily Film Renter (1883): 4. 1 March 1933. ProQuest 2594616550.
- ↑ "To Brighton with Gladys". Picturegoer. 2 (90): 30. 11 February 1933. ProQuest 1776921336.
- ↑ "To Brighton with Gladys". Picturegoer. 2 (86): 22. 14 January 1933. ProQuest 1776921082.
- ↑ "To Brighton with Gladys". Film Weekly. 9 (245): 33–34. 23 June 1933. ProQuest 1771134373.