Kipps - novel of a simple person
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Kipps - novel of a simple person |
| Original title | Tilt |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1941 |
| length | 111 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Carol Reed |
| script |
Frank Launder Sidney Gilliat |
| production | Edward Black |
| music | Charles Williams |
| camera | Arthur Crabtree |
| cut | RE Dearing |
| occupation | |
| |
Kipps is a 1941 British tragic comedy directed by Carol Reed, with Michael Redgrave in the title role. Diana Wynyard and Phyllis Calvert play the leading female roles at his side . The story is based on the novel of the same name (1905) by HG Wells .
action
England, early 20th century. 14-year-old Arthur, known as “Artie”, Kipps has just finished school and now plans to start a seven-year training course in Mr. Shalford's textile business. Shortly before, he asks Ann Pornick, his friend's sister, to be her friend. The girl agrees with pleasure. The years go by and Kipps grows into an inconspicuous young man. One day he attends a lecture by Chester Coote, which is supposed to tell him everything about self-optimization, and then decides to attend a corresponding course. Coote looks down on Kipps with a certain arrogance because of his low social background and patronizingly persuades the young man to take another course instead of a literature course, for example one that deals with the processing of wood. This course is led by the class-conscious Helen Walshingham, who also looks down on Kipps with arrogance because of his low social background. Accordingly, she hardly pays him any attention, even when he gets butterflies in his stomach because of her.
One night, the actor and playwright Chitterlow, cycling on a bicycle, collides with Kipps and tears his beautiful pants. He takes Kipps in to mend his clothes. Both men get along well and get drunk while Chitterlow tells Kipps about his latest piece. It's a comedy with a beetle at the center of the plot. It seems sheer coincidence that one of the characters in Chitterlow's play is also called Kipps; a name the author recently spotted in a newspaper ad. When Kipps is late for work the next day, he is immediately fired by Mr. Shalford for breaking one of his strict rules of conduct. Things suddenly change for Kipps shortly afterwards, and for the better: Chitterlow tells Kipps what the newspaper advertisement Kipps was about: The advertisement actually concerned Arthur Kipps, who had a big house and a fortune of £ 26,000 - one at the time huge sum - inherited from his grandfather, whom he had never met. Chitterlow immediately persuades Kipps to invest £ 300 in his new piece and receive a 50 percent share of the profits.
Kipps and Chitterlow go to the bank together, where they meet Chester Coote. Kipps suggests that the young lawyer Ronnie Walshingham be entrusted with Kipps' asset management. When Kipps learns that this man is the brother of his crush Helen, the gullible Kipps suddenly shows interest. Little does he know that Coote and the Walshinghams are pursuing their own interests with this arrangement. Because now that Kipps has made a considerable fortune, he is also of interest to the blasé and snooty Helen Walshingham, who suddenly begins to be interested in Kipps and agrees to be engaged to him. Her attempts to make him something different than he is, however, bothers Kipps. When he meets his childhood flame Ann again, who now works as a maid, old feelings are awakened again. They both kiss. When Ann heard the news of Artie's engagement to Helen a little later, she ran away disappointed. Kipps finds her and tells Ann that he loves her. You decide to get married. One day, Kipps is called to Ronnie's office, where Helen tells him that her brother is off with all of Kipps' fortune. Kipps shows a big heart again and dispenses with an advertisement. Then, in the middle of the night, friend Chitterlow revealed to him that his play was a great success and that Kipps, thanks to his 50 percent participation, would get rich again. This is enough for Arthur Kipps to open a bookstore and live happily ever after with Ann and her young son.
Production notes
The filming of Kipps - Novel einer Simple People was finished at the end of December 1940 and the film was first presented in March 1941. The mass start was a little later. The strip was seen in Germany as early as January 1946.
Maurice Ostrer was head of production, Alex Vetchinsky created the film structures. Cecil Beaton designed the costumes. Louis Levy took over the musical direction. Peter Graham Scott was one of several assistant directors.
Reviews
In 1941 the industry journal Variety read: “Kipps has little of the accepted film style. The scarcity of drama and action is evident to show the occasional boredom; But there is also a certain piquant freshness in the simple story of an ultra-simple buddy - Kipps. Any attempt to give this late Victorian yarn impetus or sharpness is nowhere to be seen. Sidney Gilliat's screenplay… may have excellent taste and character, but it remains a sprawling writing. You can't help but get the impression that Carol Reed was uncomfortable directing this kind of tired story. ”
The Movie & Video Guide wrote: "Meticulous adaptation of HG Wells' story ... but consistently cumbersome".
Halliwell's Film Guide characterized the film as follows: "Charming, humble film from a popular novel".
"It has the old-fashioned charm of wax roses under a glass bell."
The Lexicon of International Films said: "A lovely, somewhat striking film adaptation of a novel by HG Wells - an early test of Carol Reed's talent."
Individual evidence
- ^ Variety criticism
- ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 704
- ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 563
- ^ Kipps - novel of a simple person. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 1, 2020 .
Web links
- Kipps - novel of ordinary people in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Kipps in Turner Classic Movies