Don't Ever Leave Me
Encyclopedia
Don't Ever Leave Me is a 1949 English
romantic comedy
film starring Petula Clark
, Jimmy Hanley
, Hugh Sinclair
, Edward Rigby
, and Anthony Newley
. Produced by Betty Box
during her stint at Gainsborough Pictures
, it was written by Robert Westerby
and directed by Arthur Crabtree
.
The plot, a variation on The Ransom of Red Chief
, revolves around Sheila Farlaine (Clark), the teenaged daughter of Shakespearean tragedian Michael Farlaine (Sinclair), who is kidnapped by elderly crook Harry Denton (Rigby) when it's suggested he no longer has what it takes to be a master criminal.
When Harry starts having second thoughts about the caper, Sheila - tired of playing second fiddle to her egotistical
father's career - becomes the mastermind of the plot and resists every effort made by Harry's grandson Jack (Hanley) to return her home before she's discovered missing. Newley is Sheila's boyfriend Jimmy, a potential juvenile delinquent and general nuisance to one and all.
Taking advantage of Clark's vocal abilities, screenwriter Westerby included two scenes in which she sang the tune "It's Not for the Want of Trying" by songwriters Jack Fishman and Peter Hart.
The film, Clark's twelfth, allowed her to play a role more mature than she had in previous outings, and was both a critical and commercial success.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film starring Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, Jimmy Hanley
Jimmy Hanley
Jimmy Hanley was a British actor.Born in Norwich, Norfolk, Hanley began his career as a child actor before becoming popular in juvenile roles...
, Hugh Sinclair
Hugh Sinclair (actor)
Hugh Sinclair was a British actor born in London, England, the son of a clergyman. He was educated at Charterhouse School and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His first marriage was to the actress Valerie Taylor...
, Edward Rigby
Edward Rigby
Edward Rigby was a British character actor.-Early life:Rigby was the son of Jamaican-born Dr. William Harriot Coke and his wife Liverpool-born Mary Elizabeth of 17 High Street, Ashford. He was educated at Haileybury, and Wye Agricultural College...
, and Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley
Anthony George Newley was an English actor, singer and songwriter. He enjoyed success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock and roll and stage and screen acting.-Early life:...
. Produced by Betty Box
Betty Box
Betty Evelyn Box was a prolific British film producer. She is considered one of the best of her generation, with a flair for making genuinely popular British films....
during her stint at Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
, it was written by Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby , was an author of novels and screenwriter for films and television....
and directed by Arthur Crabtree
Arthur Crabtree
Arthur Crabtree was a British cinematographer and film director....
.
The Ransom of Red Chief
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a 1910 short story by O. Henry. It follows two men who attempt to kidnap and ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son; eventually, the men are driven to distraction by the boy and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back....
, revolves around Sheila Farlaine (Clark), the teenaged daughter of Shakespearean tragedian Michael Farlaine (Sinclair), who is kidnapped by elderly crook Harry Denton (Rigby) when it's suggested he no longer has what it takes to be a master criminal.
When Harry starts having second thoughts about the caper, Sheila - tired of playing second fiddle to her egotistical
Egotism
Egotism is "characterized by an exaggerated estimate of one's intellect, ability, importance, appearance, wit, or other valued personal characteristics" – the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself....
father's career - becomes the mastermind of the plot and resists every effort made by Harry's grandson Jack (Hanley) to return her home before she's discovered missing. Newley is Sheila's boyfriend Jimmy, a potential juvenile delinquent and general nuisance to one and all.
Taking advantage of Clark's vocal abilities, screenwriter Westerby included two scenes in which she sang the tune "It's Not for the Want of Trying" by songwriters Jack Fishman and Peter Hart.
The film, Clark's twelfth, allowed her to play a role more mature than she had in previous outings, and was both a critical and commercial success.