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As Long as They're Happy
As Long as They're Happy
Directed by	J. Lee Thompson
Written by	Alan Melville
Based on	As Long as They're Happy by Vernon Sylvaine
Produced by	Raymond Stross
Starring	Jack Buchanan ; Janette Scott ; Jeannie Carson ; Diana Dors
Cinematography	Gilbert Taylor
Edited by	John D. Guthridge
Music by	Stanley Black
Production; company	Group Film Productions
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	15 March 1955;
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

As Long as They're Happy is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Jack Buchanan, Susan Stephen and Diana Dors.^[1] It was written by Alan Melville based on the 1953 play of the same name by Vernon Sylvaine. It was shot in Eastmancolor at Pinewood Studios near London with sets designed by the art director Michael Stringer.

Plot

American singer Bobby Denver, known as the "Crying Crooner" (a la Johnnie Ray) stays with a stockbroker's family by mistake when he comes to England. The stockbroker has three very pretty daughters, with the youngest, Gwen, so madly in love with him that she wants to marry him. Eventually, the stodgy stockbroker deals with his wife and daughter as well as his maid Linda, who keeps fainting every time Bobby sings.^[2]

Cast

Jack Buchanan as John Bentley
Janette Scott as Gwen Bentley
Jeannie Carson as Pat Bentley
Brenda De Banzie as Stella Bentley
Susan Stephen as Corinne Bentley
Jerry Wayne as Bobby Denver
Diana Dors as Pearl Delaney
Hugh McDermott as Barnaby Brady
David Hurst as Dr. Hermann Schneider
Athene Seyler as Mrs. Arbuthnot
Joan Sims as Linda
Nigel Green as Peter
Dora Bryan as May
Gilbert Harding as himself
Joan Hickson as barmaid
Peter Illing as French sergeant
Edie Martin as elderly fan
Hattie Jacques as party girl
Leslie Phillips as box office manager
Ronnie Stevens as box intruder
Charles Hawtrey as Teddy boy
Richard Wattis as Theatre Stage Manager (uncredited)
John Blythe as Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Norman Wisdom as Norman (uncredited)

Production

The film was based on the comedy play by the British writer Vernon Sylvaine which was first staged in 1953 starring Jack Buchanan. It ran at the Garrick Theatre in the West End for 370 performances until May 1954. In April 1954 it was announced that Buchanan would appear in the film version; it would be his first starring role in a movie in 14 years.^[3] In August it was announced Jeanne Carson would co star.^[4]

It was Diana Dors's second film for J. Lee Thompson.^[5] She was offered the lead but was unable to do it but agreed to play a guest part at £200 a day.^[6]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This film version of the stage farce has been considerably expanded to accommodate the talents of numerous performers not foreseen by the original play. The result is a sprawling series of "big" scenes, few of which come off. The basic joke (at the expense of American sob-singers), too, has lost much of its edge, and is scarcely in itself sufficient to carry a film of this length. Of the players, Jack Buchanan glides through the whole thing with an assured charm, and Jerry Wayne is capable as the singer. The rest contend somewhat ineffectively with a script deficient in humour, although Diana Dors handsomely brings off one of her familiar roles as a sexy blonde."^[7]

Variety called it "a hearty and good-hearted romp, without much attention to storyline."^[8]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "This moderately amusing all-British comedy, with some music, was inspired by the 1950s craze for sob singer Johnnie Ray. The plot has an American crying crooner ... causing havoc in an English family with whom he stays. Jack Buchanan plays the unamused head of the household and the father of three daughters ... obsessed with the visitor."^[9]

British film critic Leslie Halliwell said: "Fractic farce extended from a stage satire of the Johnnie Ray cult; a patchy but sometimes funny star vehicle."^[10]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Good-natured semi-musical romp in good colour, with lots of middle-sized laughs."^[11]

References

^ "As Long as They're Happy". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ "As Long as They're Happy". IMDb.
^ "THROUGH THE ARTS—-WITH JOHN HAMPEL". Barrier Daily Truth. Vol. XLVI, no. 14, 395. New South Wales, Australia. 5 April 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 28 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "World-wide Film and Theatre News". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XV, no. 39. Sydney. 15 August 1954. p. 50. Retrieved 28 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Vagg, Stephen (7 September 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.
^ Dors, Diana (1960). Swingin' Dors. World Distributors. p. 111.
^ "As Long as They're Happy". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 22 (252): 56. 1 January 1955. ProQuest 1305818381 – via ProQuest.
^ "As Long as They're Happy". Variety: 6. 6 April 1955.
^ Radio Times Guide to Films (18th ed.). London: Immediate Media Company. 2017. p. 51. ISBN 9780992936440.
^ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 54. ISBN 0586088946.
^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 279. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.