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On Approval

  • 1944
  • Approved
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
779
YOUR RATING
On Approval (1944)
ComedyRomance

Two wealthy Victorian widows are courted tentatively by two impoverished British aristocrats. When one of the dowagers suggests that her beau go away with her for a month to see if they are ... Read allTwo wealthy Victorian widows are courted tentatively by two impoverished British aristocrats. When one of the dowagers suggests that her beau go away with her for a month to see if they are compatible, the fireworks begin.Two wealthy Victorian widows are courted tentatively by two impoverished British aristocrats. When one of the dowagers suggests that her beau go away with her for a month to see if they are compatible, the fireworks begin.

  • Director
    • Clive Brook
  • Writers
    • Frederick Lonsdale
    • Clive Brook
    • Terence Young
  • Stars
    • Clive Brook
    • Beatrice Lillie
    • Googie Withers
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    779
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Clive Brook
    • Writers
      • Frederick Lonsdale
      • Clive Brook
      • Terence Young
    • Stars
      • Clive Brook
      • Beatrice Lillie
      • Googie Withers
    • 19User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos116

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    Top cast12

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    Clive Brook
    Clive Brook
    • George, 10th Duke of Bristol
    Beatrice Lillie
    Beatrice Lillie
    • Maria Wislack
    Googie Withers
    Googie Withers
    • Helen Hale
    Roland Culver
    Roland Culver
    • Richard Halton
    E.V.H. Emmett
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    O.B. Clarence
    O.B. Clarence
    • Dr. Graham
    Lawrence Hanray
    Lawrence Hanray
    • Parkes
    Elliott Mason
    • Mrs. McCosh - the Housekeeper
    • (as Elliot Mason)
    Hay Petrie
    Hay Petrie
    • Hotelkeeper
    Marjorie Rhodes
    Marjorie Rhodes
    • Cook
    Mollie Munks
    • Jeannie
    • (as Molly Munks)
    Frank Atkinson
    Frank Atkinson
    • Hansom Cab Driver
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Clive Brook
    • Writers
      • Frederick Lonsdale
      • Clive Brook
      • Terence Young
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    7.1779
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    Featured reviews

    7atlasmb

    A Clever Comedy Worth Seeing

    "On Approval" is a comedy of manners and it delivers on its promise to delight. The dialogue is the thing--filled with insinuations, clever slights, and unabashed insults. The four leads make the most of the plot, which is about two men trying to marry into wealthier circumstances via two sisters.

    One reviewer said this film is not up to Oscar Wilde's standards. Well maybe it is too tame to be Wilde, but it is still charming and filled with plenty of caustic throw-away lines and honest insights.

    I think I will have to see it more than once to fully appreciate the film because of the sheer volume of memorable lines. That's a prospect I can bear to suffer.
    8museumofdave

    A Literate Comedy of Manners From Quality Actors: Quips Aplenty!

    First of all, the pictorial quality of the print on this 1943 comedy is amazingly good; the diction of the actors speaking the King's English is also impeccable, and on that level alone this film is watchable--but much more for me; it's a wartime English film, obviously done on the cheap--but done very well and featuring top quality stage actors who delight in the clever quip and character-driven drollery.

    A wee bit of story: a demanding woman decides to take her prospective hubby to an island retreat to see if they can properly relate before they marry--two friends tag along. Now largely forgotten actor Clive Brook (a lead in Dietrich's Shanghai Express) directed and stars as an effete snob who has lessons to learn, and the impeccably hilarious, viper-tongued Beatrice Lille, who made far too few movies, is showcased at her raised-eyebrow best. This is an old-fashioned drawing room comedy, adult in nature, literate in approach, and short, sweet and delightful.
    8AAdaSC

    Funny

    Maria (Beatrice Lillie) invites Richard (Roland Culver) to stay with her in her house in Scotland for a month to see if they are compatible and thus suited for marriage. George (Clive Brook) and Helen (Googie Withers) come along as chaperones for their friends, Helen for Maria and George for Richard. The staff at the house walk out of the residence, leaving the four main characters to fend for themselves and find out about each other.....

    This film is very amusing - a good example of dialogue-driven humour. The script is well written and the cast deliver it with precision. All four main characters are well suited to their roles and equally excellent. The only oddity is that Googie Withers, playing an American, couldn't be more English! At the beginning of the film, a narrator delivers an intro in a very British comedy cartoon fashion. Perhaps this segment could have been shorter. However, once the film starts properly, it immediately holds the viewer's interest and runs for a decent length. There is also a twist in the tale.
    10timon88

    Ho!

    This film of Frederick Lonsdale's play is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not because it breaks new artistic ground--it's simply as close to being perfectly cast and perfectly executed as one can imagine. It's Bea Lillie's most important work on film (and as far as I can tell, except for "Thoroughly Modern Millie", the only thing of hers available on home video....will someone PLEASE bring out "Doctor Rhythm"?), and it really does give us a sense of why she was so famous in her day. The amazing Clive Brook is her perfect foil, and Googie Withers is beautiful and utterly charming.

    "On Approval" is full of small pleasures that, because of their perfection, are unforgettable. Who can forget Bea Lillie's perfect delivery of "You will find the dinghy by the jetty."? The bickering of Lillie and Brook ("Maria, I don't want to speak to you, but I must." "I don't want to speak to you and I won't!") .....Googie Withers refusing a proposal of marriage by asking the color of her eyes.....Bea Lillie doing vocal exercises at the piano....I could go on endlessly. It's exquisite fun.
    drednm

    Beatrice Lillie Shines....

    in this 1944 film version of the Frederick Lonsdale play. Charming, caustic, biting, and very funny, On Approval centers on 4 people who end up together in a house in Scotland for a month to see if they are "suited" for marriage. Of course no one gets along, the servants leave instantly, and the weather is dreadful. Lillie made only a handful of films; what a pity. She's quite wonderful as the rich woman who disdains marriage. Clive Brook (best remembered for Cavalcade) is excellent as the Duke (son of a butcher's daughter) who assumes the airs of aristocracy without having money. Roland Culver and Googie Withers round out the bickering foursome. Surprisingly fresh and current. I'd seen the 1982 BBC play with Penelope Keith and remembered it fondly. This is different but equal. Lonsdale seemed at one time a copy of Wilde or even Coward. But he has a special way with words that makes for delightful dialogue. On Approval is worth looking for!

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      After three weeks together, Helen can be seen reading a copy of the novel "Three Weeks" by Elinor Glyn.
    • Quotes

      George, 10th Duke of Bristol: She's not crying because I said she was forty-one. She's crying because she is forty-one.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Let's Go to the Movies (1949)
    • Soundtracks
      At The Woodchoppers' Ball
      (uncredited)

      Written by Joe Bishop and Woody Herman

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 1946 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • En man till påseende
    • Filming locations
      • London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Independent Producers
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 20m(80 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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