Two on the Tiles
| Two on the Tiles | |
|---|---|
.jpg) British quad poster | |
| Directed by | John Guillermin |
| Written by | Alec Coppel |
| Produced by | Nigel Proudlock Roger Proudlock |
| Starring | Herbert Lom Hugh McDermott Brenda Bruce Ingeborg von Kusserow Humphrey Lestocq |
| Cinematography | Ray Elton |
| Edited by | Robert Jordan Hill |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Grand National Pictures (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Two on the Tiles (also known as School for Wives;[1] U.S. title: School for Brides.[2]) is a 1951 British comedy film directed by John Guillermin and starring Herbert Lom, Hugh McDermott and Brenda Bruce.[1][3] It was produced by Nigel and Roger Proudlock and written by Alec Coppel.[4]
Synopsis
A married couple, Dick and Janet Lawson, both face temptations while separated for a few days. Dick meets Madeleine, an attractive female fellow-traveller in Paris while Janet accidentally spends a night aboard a Royal Navy ship with Jimmy Bradley, a male friend after she is stranded following a party. Despite knowing the essential innocence of both husband and wife, their sinister new butler, Ford, uses information about their escapades to demand blackmail payments.
Cast
- Herbert Lom as Ford
- Hugh McDermott as Dick Lawson
- Brenda Bruce as Janet Lawson
- Ingeborg von Kusserow as Madeleine
- Humphrey Lestocq as Jimmy Bradley
- Armand Guinle as Pierre
- Basil Dignam as ship's Captain
- Les Compagnons de la Chanson as themselves
- Hyma Beckley as hotel receptionist
Production
The film was made at Walton Studios by the independent Vandyke Productions for release as a second feature. It was one of three back-to-back productions Guillermin directed for the company at Walton Studios, along with Smart Alec and Four Days.[5]
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The piece is well acted on the whole and the efforts of Dick and Janet to prevent Ford from giving them away are amusing enough; the material and handling, however, are hackneyed and obvious."[6]
Picturegoer wrote: "Hugh McDermott and Humphrey Lestocq show they are excellent comedians – for the theatre. Brenda Bruce works hard, but the photography in close-ups doesn't help her much. Ironically, the only one with a light touch is the blackmailing butler, as played by Lom."[7]
TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, calling it an "innocuous comedy," but also finding it "enjoyable."[8]
References
- 1 2 "Two on the Tiles". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "School for Brides (1952) – John Guillermin – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related – AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ↑ "Two on the Tiles (1951)". Archived from the original on 4 August 2012.
- ↑ Vagg, Stephen (17 November 2020). "John Guillermin: Action Man". Filmink.
- ↑ Chibnall & McFarlane pp. 122–23
- ↑ "Two on the Tiles". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 18 (204): 333. 1 January 1951. ProQuest 1305815491.
- ↑ "Two on the Tiles". Picturegoer. 22: 17. 4 September 1951. ProQuest 1705113738.
- ↑ "School For Brides". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017.
External links
- Two on the Tiles at IMDb
- Two on the Tiles at ReelStreets
- Two on the Tiles at Letterbox DVD
- Two on the Tile at Park Circus
- Review of film at Variety
Bibliography
- Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.
- 1951 films
- British comedy films
- Films directed by John Guillermin
- 1951 comedy films
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in London
- Films shot at Nettlefold Studios
- British black-and-white films
- 1951 English-language films
- 1951 British films
- Films with screenplays by Alec Coppel
- Films scored by Frank Spencer
- English-language comedy films