Last Holiday: Gently Knocking at Death’s Door
By June 10, 2009
Kind Hearts and Coronets, that most wicked comedy of ill manners, had established Alec Guinness as an acting force—and coming so soon after he had disappeared into the role Read more »
SYNOPSIS: Told by his doctor he has no more than a few months to live, drab British workingman George Bird (Alec Guinness) decides to spend his savings on lodging at a seaside resort. Once there, however, he finds his identity caught between upstairs and downstairs, the guests and the “help.” A droll social commentary as well as an unpredictable dark comedy about life, death, and luck, Last Holiday is one of Guinness’s finest moments.
| George Bird | Alec Guinness |
| Sheila Rockingham | Beatrice Campbell |
| Mrs. Poole | Kay Walsh |
| Inspector Wilton | Bernard Lee |
| Chalfont | Wilfred Hyde-White |
| Lady Oswington | Muriel George |
| Miss Mellows | Helen Cherry |
| Daisy Clarence | Jean Colin |
| Director | Henry Cass |
| Producer | Stephen Mitchell, A. D. Peters and J. B. Priestley |
| Screenplay | J. B. Priestley |
| Cinematography | Ray Elton |
| Art direction | Duncan Sutherland |
| Editing | Monica Kimick |
| Music | Francis Chagrin |
By June 10, 2009
Kind Hearts and Coronets, that most wicked comedy of ill manners, had established Alec Guinness as an acting force—and coming so soon after he had disappeared into the role Read more »