Four Days (1951 film)

Four Days
File:"Four Days" (1951 film).jpg Peter Reynolds & Kathleen Byron
Directed by	John Guillermin
Produced by	Roger Proudlock
Written by	Lindsay Galloway J. MacLaren Ross
Based on	the play Four Days by Monckton Hoffe
Starring	Hugh McDermott Kathleen Byron
Music by	Peter D. Barker (musical adviser)
Cinematography	Ray Elton
Edited by	Robert Jordan Hill
Production company	Roger Proudlock Productions (as Vandyke Productions)
Distributed by	Grand National Pictures (U.K.)
Release dates	October 1951 (U.K.)
Running time	55 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Four Days is a 1951 British drama film directed by John Guillermin. It was based on a play of the same name by Monckton Hoffe.

Plot

Businessman Francis Templar (Hugh McDermott) suspects his neglected wife Lucienne (Kathleen Byron) of having an affair with his business partner's son Johnny (Peter Reynolds). When the two of them confess, Templar refuses to give his wife a divorce and she retaliates by trying to poison him. Johnny however, intervenes, and manages to prevent the murder. During the next few days, Lucienne comes to realise she loves her husband after all; but Templar, believing his wife is about to leave him, attempts suicide by jumping off a cliff. He survives the fall, but loses all memory of the previous four days. Now an amnesiac, Templar is blissfully in love with his devoted wife. However, she fears their happiness is only temporary, and dreads the return of her husband's memory. To make matters worse, Johnny then reappears to blackmail Lucienne, threatening to reveal all to her husband.

Cast

• Hugh McDermott as Francis Templar
• Kathleen Byron as Lucienne Templar
• Peter Reynolds as Johnny Keylin
• Gordon McLeod as Mr. Keylin
• H.G. Stoker as Baxter
• John Harvey as Hammond Stubbs
• Petra Davies as Helen

Production

The film was based on a play by Mockton Hoffe which debuted in 1945.

Critical reception

TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars, noting "A ludicrous melodrama which manages to pull off a couple of gripping scenes."

The MFB complained about "indifferent construction."

Filmink said "It’s short, taut and lots of fun; Guillermin’s direction is energetic, and there are excellent performances from Kathleen Byron and Reynolds."

External links

• Four Days at IMDb
• Four Days at Reel Streets