The Million Pound Note

Thanks paul great dvd

A Fiscal FantasyBased on a story by the great American writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain 1835 - 1910), one should up the value of this "scrap of paper" some 100-fold to account for inflation to the present time.An amateur American sailor (Peck) gets swept off course and lands up in England with no more to his credit than the tatty clothes he stands up in. Nobody it would appear wishes to help the man (the American Embassy will not advance a loan without security) and so the penniless Peck roams the streets of London only to be asked into the house of two well-to-do gentlemen who entrust him with an envelope that he is not to open until a little over one hour hence. On the assurance that the envelope contains cash (amount undisclosed), the food hungry Pecks enters an eating house and orders a sumptuous meal for himself. He completes his meal shortly before time is up for him to open the envelope containing the secret note. He stalls payment of the bill thus engendering the proprietor's suspicions. Their attitude goes into servile reverse when it is found that the envelope contains a genuine million pound note.Seeking to replace his tatty clothes, Peck enters an expensive tailoring house where he gets much the same treatment as before. Thenceforth he finds the establishment at his beck and call, all based on he assumption that he is an American millionaire. Thus runs the tale of riches and influence exposing in the process the fallacy and frailty of monetary wealth.The treatment and behaviour of the world stock market has a part to play "selling" a similar story to the one found in "The Toast of New York" (Cary Grant et al). Both films in fact lay bare the surreal nature of our civilization that values ledger sheets above substance. In this sense we can see that mankind has been living in a sort of cyberspace long before the invention of the microchip. It also messages the gulf between fact and fiction in our management of the physical world. Fiscal manipulators, wealthy bankers and the like, may give he impression of wizardry in their own domain but most of them wouldn't last five minutes if they to had peel a potato, boil an egg or darn a sock.The ending may be somewhat predictable but none the worse for that. A fine casting and presentation, ideal for a wet evening's entertainment.

This is a neglected gem. Gregory Peck, the most stalwart (If also the most middlebrow) of American actors, is oddly, yet superbly, cast in this one. Ostensibly, it's an adaptation of Mark Twain's story, and it smacks of Twain's God-like laughter at all of us,. of "the whole damned human race," yet, all in all, the movie's attention to grace, nuance, and irony seem more akin to the unique quality of the Ealing classics of the fifties---and that's not a bad thing. Perhaps Alec Guinness was originally considered, and no doubt would have been brilliant, though it's hard to think how this film's romantic subplot would have worked with Guinnes). In any case, it's Peck's show, and he delivers 100%. It may not be a great movie, but it's a very fine one, and definitely worth a watch and worth a discussion when it's over.

Wonderfully Acted, Interesting Screen Play.Whimsiccal Romantic Comedy Of A Bygone Age.Interesting British Cast List; Jane Griffiths Such A Lovely Looking Women.

Such a fun film. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

The sensitive American actor Gregory Peck is put together with a selection of well known English actors of the early 1950s in this gentle little comedy, which has a moral dimension. It is a welcome change from the modern in-your-face movies.

I was gutted when my family chucked out the Video player without getting a few of our favourite VHS films on DVD first - this was one of them! But no more, because I now have one of my favourite films growing up (ta, Amazon!).Why so upset over a film with no GCIs, explosions, etc? Well the story tells of an impoverished American man, who, on the promise of a job, goes along with a bet involving a note of such high value, he becomes the toast of London society without spending a single penny of it. There is indeed a moral to the story, but as it is such a joy to watch, and so many smile along the way, it is delivered without being preachy.As well as the legendary Gregory Peck, the film also features a who's who of 1950's English film stars, and familiar faces, even to a child in the 80's (Look out, watch out, it's Supergran!) - for a film to watch with your parents and your children, and to have everyone thoroughly entertained - this is it!

Brilliant film.

Gregory Peck played many varied characters in a long & distinguished career, from Captain Ahab hunting Moby Dick, to Atticus Finch, the southern lawyer defending a black man on a rape charge in "To Kill A Mockingbird." I'd like to think that, if asked about what was perhaps one of his more fun roles, he would have singled out Henry Adams, the protagonist in "The Million Pound Note."Adams is a penniless American who winds up in London. Enlisted as a foil in a bet between two fabulously wealthy English brothers, Adams finds himself the possessor of a bank note worth 1 million Pounds Sterling. If he can refrain from cashing the note for a month, the brothers will get him any job he wants.Needless to say, Adams soon finds that, although the note opens many doors for him, including one behind which his true love awaits, it also leads to unforeseen tribulations, especially when the note suddenly disappears just as he's being compelled to produce it to prove his bona fides.The plot is light & the happy ending is practically guaranteed, but this film is a pleasant, diverting romp with loverly scenery, great period costumes & some rather pertinent insights into the effect money can have. Definitely worth the effort to pop some corn, butter it judiciously & enjoy!

ein ganz anderer peck lustig ,witzig und immer für ein neues abenteuer zu haben .hat mich begeistert

Una gran película y que ha llegado en perfecto estado y muy rápido.

This movie is based on a delightful tale from Mark Twain, that presents the preposterous nature of the Stock Market and society in general, especially high society. The moral of the story is that, in order to obtain seemingly unlimited credit from people, you merely have to prove that you don't need any credit, because you have plenty of money. Once people believe that you have a lot of money, they flock to give you things on credit, in the belief that you will eventually pay them for those goods and much more besides. The starring role of poor but honest Henry Adams, is superbly played by Gregory Peck. Henry Adams is an average, honest working class Joe who conducts himself with composed dignity whilst those around him scamper like geese. There is even a happy ending.

For any Gregory Peck fans, this is a must have.