A Man About the House

A Man About the House
UK release poster
Directed by	Leslie Arliss
Written by	J.B. Williams Leslie Arliss
Based on	A Man About the House by Francis Brett Young
Produced by	Edward Black
Starring	Dulcie Gray Margaret Johnston Kieron Moore Guy Middleton
Cinematography	Georges Périnal
Edited by	Russell Lloyd
Music by	Nicholas Brodszky
Color process	Black and white
Production company	London Film Productions
Distributed by	British Lion Films (UK) 20th Century Fox (USA)
Release date	3 October 1947 (1947-10-03)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£304,521[1]
Box office	£166,075[1]

A Man About the House is a British drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and released in 1947. The film is a melodrama adapted for the screen by J. B. Williams from the 1942 novel of the same name by Francis Brett Young.^[2] A theatrical adaptation also titled A Man About the House by John Perry had been staged in London's West End in 1946, with Flora Robson as Agnes, Kieron Moore as Salvatore and Ernest Thesiger as Sanctuary.^[3] The film was produced by Edward Black and edited by Russell Lloyd, with cinematography by Georges Périnal and music by Nicholas Brodszky. Shot at Shepperton Studios and on location around Naples, the film's sets were designed by the art director Andrej Andrejew.

English sisters Ellen and Agnes Isit inherit a Neapolitan villa from a dead uncle and move to Italy to view and sell their property. A local man, Salvatore, has been employed by the uncle his entire life and manages the villa and its vineyard. Exploring her late uncle's studio, Ellen uncovers a painting of a nude Salvatore as Bacchus.

Ellen becomes drawn to the carefree life of the locals and Salvatore's romantic charisma, while the prudish Agnes resists. Agnes and Salvatore are married, making Salvatore the master of the estate.

Ellen becomes aware of a change in Salvatore's behaviour toward Agnes. Not long after the marriage, Agnes's health begins to deteriorate and Ellen's suspicions are aroused. She expresses her concerns to visiting English doctor Benjamin Dench, who is Agnes's former fiancé. Ellen enlists Dench's help in trying to prove that Salvatore is slowly murdering Agnes with arsenic. The villa had once belonged to Salvatore's family, and he has long been determined to regain ownership. He had poisoned the sisters' uncle to inherit the estate.

Salvatore and Dench struggle on a clifftop, and Dench warns Salvatore to leave the country. Ellen and Dench return to the villa to tend the sick and weak Agnes. They learn that Salvatore is dead, as he threw himself from the clifftop in despair rather than losing the property. Ellen and Dench, who have fallen in love, depart to England and leave Agnes, now recovered and determined to remain at the villa and to fulfil her dead husband's wishes, tending the vineyard.

• Dulcie Gray as Ellen Isit
• Margaret Johnston as Agnes Isit
• Kieron Moore as Salvatore
• Guy Middleton as Dr. Benjamin Dench
• Felix Aylmer as Richard Sanctuary
• Lilian Braithwaite as Mrs. Armitage
• Reginald Purdell as Higgs
• Wilfred Caithness as Solicitor
• Gina Lollobrigida as a young girl
• Jone Salinas as Maria
• Marisa Finiani as Assunter
• Fulvia De Priamo as Gita
• Nicola Esposita as Antonina
• Andreas Malandrinos as Peasant
• Philip Ridgeway as Polite Man
• Victor Rietta as Railway Porter

The movie was part of a slate of new films from Alex Korda which also included The Shop at Sly Corner (1947) and Night Beat (1948).

Producer Edward Black had worked for many years at Gainsborough before resigning in November 1943 to work for Alex Korda. Black spent several years announcing various projects, before proceeding with two, Man About the House and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Location work was done on Bonnie Prince then was halted. Filming for A Man About the House took place in Ravallo Italy for five weeks, with studio work done at Shepperton.^[4]

Dulcie Gray, who starred in the film, felt Leslie Arliss was "underestimated" because he had made The Man in Grey "and he was being rubbished by critics all the time." She added:

e helped very much indeed on the characterisations. He was shrewd, very kind and absolutely on one’s side, and he had a very firm, clear vision of Maggie Johnston and me. It is my great regret that that film wasn’t in colour, it was so beautifully photographed... It was decided to hold the opening at Eastbourne, I think, and there was a huge motorcade with a star in every limousine. The film was an absolute flop and Leslie saw at once why it had failed with the audience. He decided which scenes were failing and he was absolutely right; he cut those scenes and the film was then a great success.^[5]

The film was considered a "notable box office attraction" in England in 1947.^[6] As of 30 June 1949, the film earned £166,075 in the UK, of which £111,820 went to the producer.^[1] Another account said it earned £187,115 in the UK.^[7]

Variety wrote "Lack of marquee names is bound to have effect on pulling power of this picture, especially for America; and the best it can attain is the dualer spot. But with air its deficiencies, this... is good cinema, and should do well on its general release."^[8]

Margaret Johnson reprised her performance in a radio version of the film.^[9]

• TimeOut Film Guide - published by Penguin Books - ISBN 0-14-029395-7

• A Man About the House at IMDb
• A Man About the House at AllMovie
• Review of film at Variety