The made-to-measure coat

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Movie
German title The made-to-measure coat
Original title The Bespoke Overcoat
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1955
length 36 minutes
Rod
Director Jack Clayton
script Wolf Mankowitz
production George K. Arthur
Jack Clayton
John Woolf
music Georges Auric
camera Wolfgang Suschitzky
cut Stan Hawkes
occupation

The bespoke coat , (original title The Bespoke Overcoat ), is a British short film directed by Jack Clayton in 1955.

action

Tailor Morrie follows his friend Fender's coffin to the cemetery. He has a coat in his arms, which he throws into the coffin pit. Back in his tailor's workshop, he reproaches himself for whether he was to blame for Fender's death. Suddenly Fender appears as a ghost in the room. He holds the coat in his arms and tells him that he wants to demand something from his boss Ranting. He tells him the whole story in retrospect: Fender has a coat that has worn out over the years and has numerous holes. While working in the warehouse of the clothing company Renting & Co., which Fender has been following for 43 years, he is cold and his boss Ranting advises him to get a new coat. Fender suggests buying a coat from the company and paying off the cost of the coat from his wages. Ranting explains to him that a coat costs 20 pounds and that he wouldn't make that much until the rest of his life. Fender has to agree.

Fender goes to his friend Morrie and wants to have his old coat mended. Morrie sees himself unable to do so, but offers to tailor a new coat for ten pounds. Fender is delighted with the prospect of a bespoke coat, especially since it could save him ten pounds on his labor. He pays a small deposit, chooses blue as the coat color and already imagines how his new coat will look on passers-by. Some time later - the coat is almost finished - Ranting fires Fender. There is no specific reason, but Ranting assumes that Fender should no longer work due to his age and have a family. However, Fender lives alone and is desperate. He goes to Morrie and tearfully tells him that he has to cancel the coat order because he has been fired. He goes home sad. He later hallucinates lying in his bed about coats and his boss and dies shortly afterwards.

Fender ends his account of how death came. He likes Morrie's coat but doesn't want to keep it because he believes Ranting owes him more than a layoff for 43 years of work. With Morrie he goes to the warehouse. Although Morrie tries to persuade him to go through the wall as a ghost, Fender is content with going through the door and then opening it from the inside for Morrie. In the warehouse, Fender looks at all of the coats and finally decides on one with lambswool, even if Morrie doesn't like the processing. Fender is satisfied, but at the same time depressed because his spirit has now found rest and he will no longer return to earth. Morrie is sad too and Fender asks him to pray for him. When Fender disappears, Morrie finds himself in his workshop. He puts on his kippah and begins a prayer for Fender.

production

The made-to-measure coat is based on Wolf Mankowitz 's play The Bespoke Overcoat from 1952, which in turn is based on motifs from the short story The Coat by Nikolai Gogol . Mankowitz also wrote the screenplay for the film, which appeared in 1955 but did not open in the United States until October 7, 1956. The German premiere took place on October 31, 1964 on television. The buildings are by Tony Masters .

Awards

The Bespoke Overcoat received the award for best short film at the Venice International Film Festival in 1955. In 1956, Alfie Bass was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Actor. The film won an Oscar in 1957 in the “ Best Short Film ” category.

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