Getting Ahead In This Wicked Old World-Alex Guinness’ The Card

 

 

 

 

 

DVD Review

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

The Card, starring Alex Guinness, Glynis John, 1952

No question Great Britain lost the flower of its manhood in World War I, and lost more than the flower the second time around in World War II since it irrevocably and clearly lost it hegemonic position in the world capitalist order. In short the nation was placed on rations for a fairly long time afterward. (It has been remarked that the reason for the emaciated fashion model look, the Twiggy look, of the early 1960s reflected those ration diets for the post-war generation young women, along with the angry young men and the loneliness of the long-distance runner.) All this to say that cinematically, at least in the film under review, The Card, the British film industry seemed to have been rationed as well long after Hollywood was working its way back to Technicolor spectacles. The black and white production values here detract from the story line and give it a washed out feeling that I don’t think the producers were looking for in a film which was essentially a comic set-up of a Horatio Alger-story-British-style. 

Here Denry, (played by Alex Guiness as the Card as in “you are a card,” meaning clever, resourceful willing to take chances rather than funny) played by Alex Guinness is by hook or by crook determined to make something of himself despite his lack of formal educational smarts and, important for class conscious Britain then, and now, a benighted son of a mere widowed washer woman. Naturally in a dog eat dog world a guy like the Card to if not cheat, or just a little, play his cards very close to the vest, has to take advantage of the main chance the same way his “betters”  did to get where they were (or where their forbears were and they piggy-backed off of that success).

So from a lowly nowhere clerk in a municipal office of one of the industrial “Five Towns” at the end of the 19^th century he finds after he is dismissed from that position for impertinence by the stuffy boss (after setting himself up to attend the bigwig local ball through fair means or foul) he begins to take on a job nobody wanted, at least wanted enough to undercut the “boss” who had previously done the work, the rent collector in cold-draft tenement rich Bursley. From there it is just a matter of taking care of business, adding on and developing new ideas like a thrift club so people, in pre-credit card times, could purchase items by saving up for them.

Yes, a young man on the move indeed. One who also had political aspirations finally consummated after luring the town’s best football player (soccer in the USA) back to led the town’ previous non-descript team to the big cup. Gets him the honor of being the youngest mayor in town history. Oh yeah and in the end a fetching wife with whom he had been friends with while pursuing another young woman (played by Glynis John). Not the best Alex Guinness performance by far but okay. What a card.