Poet's Pub is a 1949 British second feature ('B')[1] comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice.[2] It is based on the 1929 novel of the same title by Eric Linklater. The film was one of four of David Rawnsley's Aquila Films that used his proposed "independent frame" technique.[citation needed]

Poet's Pub
Directed byFrederick Wilson
Written by
Based onPoet's Pub by Eric Linklater
Produced byDonald B. Wilson
Starring
Cinematography
Edited byPeter Bezencenet
Music byClifton Parker
Production
company
Aquila Film
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors
Release date
  • 5 July 1949 (1949-07-05)
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Premise

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An Oxford poet is persuaded to become manager of the Pelican Pub, after complaining about the food and service.

Cast

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Production

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The film was made at Pinewood Studios. It features actors viewing a combined radiogram television receiver made by Alba in 1948.[citation needed]

Reception

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The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This film, the last to be made under the present Independent Frame system (in future relegated for use only in certain sequences of films where its limitations are less important), is technically more finished than its predecessors, chiefly because the system was not applied throughout production. But Eric Linklater's sophisticated novel of the thirties is hardly suitable for such naive direction and playing. Some may find compensation in Joyce Grenfell's sketch of the local historian."[3]

Picture Show wrote: "This adaptation of one of Eric Linklater's earlier novels suffers from far too much talk which slows down the action considerably. ... Picturesquely staged and well acted."[4]

Picturegoer wrote: "In spite of the fact that direction is rather ragged, this adaptation of Eric Linklater's delightful novel is really good fun."[5]

References

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  1. ^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
  2. ^ "Poet's Pub". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Poet's Pub". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 16 (181): 116. 1 January 1949 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ "Poet's Pub". Picture Show. 53 (1376): 10. 13 August 1949 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ "Poet's Pub". Picturegoer. 18: 14. 4 August 1949 – via ProQuest.
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