The Late George Apley (1947)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Philip Dunne (writer)
George S. Kaufman (play)

Release Date:

20 March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Stop apologizing for sex, George Apley...you didn't invent it!

Plot:

George and Catherine Apley of Boston lead a proper life in the proper social circle, as did the Apleys before them...

Plot Keywords:

Boston Massachusetts | Pulitzer Prize Source | Based On Play | Based On Novel

Cast

Ronald Colman	...	George Apley
Vanessa Brown	...	Agnes Willing
Richard Haydn	...	Horatio Willing
Charles Russell	...	Howard Boulder
Richard Ney	...	John Apley
Percy Waram	...	Roger Newcombe
Mildred Natwick	...	Amelia Newcombe
Edna Best	...	Catherine Apley
Nydia Westman	...	Jane Willing
Peggy Cummins	...	Eleanor 'Ellie' Apley
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Blanchard	...	Myrtle (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

93 min | 97 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11862, General Audience)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Percy Waram was the only member of the original Broadway cast of "The Late George Apley" to repeat his role onscreen.

Quotes:

Catherine Apley: She's from Worcester.
George Apley: [who is from Boston] From Worcester? A foreigner!

Soundtrack:

Every Little Movement (Has a Meaning All Its Own)

Much better than I expected.

I watched this last night. I'd never even heard of it before so read the reviews here, which led me to expect it to be slightly dull but worth watching because of Ronald Coleman.

I didn't expect it to be so funny! Within the first ten minutes I was laughing out loud and I found it funny, sweet and charming all the way through.

The humor is very subtle, almost what I would call "British" humor, wry, sly and dry. The opposite of slapstick. Such great actors who can convey so much with a pause, a glance, wonderful to watch.

The movie is 60 years old, takes place nearly 100 years ago and thousands of miles away from where I live but I know people who are exactly like that. Which is probably why I found it so funny.

Perhaps the ending is a bit predictable but there were some nice plot twists in getting there. A quiet movie, yes, but not at all dull. I would definitely watch it again.