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Genevieve

Released Jan 18, 1954 1h 26m Comedy List
88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 75% Audience Score 500+ Ratings
In this upbeat British comedy, two friends enter an antique car rally. Alan McKim (John Gregson) drives his beloved 1904 automobile, named Genevieve, while Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More) takes his vintage Spyker car. Alan and Ambrose bring their wives (Dinah Sheridan, Kay Kendall) along for the wild ride from London to Brighton, and the trek soon turns fiercely competitive, each driver devising clever ways to sabotage the other in hopes of winning the race. Read More Read Less

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Genevieve

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Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Nell Minow Movie Mom Exquisitely funny comedy with a fabulous musical theme. Rated: 5/5 Oct 2, 2004 Full Review Roger Moore Movie Nation A classic “road comedy” that’s almost more interested in the road and the cars on it than the men who insist on puttering ancient or “Veteran” cars, as the Brits call them, to life, and their long-suffering better halves. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 11, 2023 Full Review Reg Whitley Daily Mirror (UK) A picture that packs a laugh a minute. Nov 30, 2021 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Some of it is repetitive, but the genial yarn stays in high gear from start to finish. Jan 8, 2020 Full Review MFB Critics Monthly Film Bulletin This lively comedy is one of the best things to have happened in British films over the last few years. Feb 1, 2018 Full Review John J. Puccio Movie Metropolis ...a delightfully humorous frolic. Fun stuff, this. Rated: 8/10 Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (47) audience reviews
Leaburn This film was very average 🤏 Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review isla s This film is quite funny in parts and certainly harks back to a different time, given it dates from the 1950s. Some comments made had me cringing a little as they seemed a bit sexist (such as assuming the wife would have no interest in cars or driving and so on) but there's nothing graphically rude, there are some mildly saucy references, one or two mentions literally of making love and thats about it. I quite liked the wife, Wendy McKim, who was quite prepared to stand up for herself. As an aside/note, its said in this film that in days gone by you used to have to go to a chemists to buy petrol for a car and that you had to be accompanied by a man waving a red flag before it was legal to drive. I suppose that must have been the case in the late 1800s and early 1900s - those were obviously different times indeed!. There's also a lovely trumpet solo played by one of the female characters - I certainly enjoyed that. An example of the dialogue includes - 'my dear girl, when that car gets started, you'll be intoxicated by the exuberance of your own velocity!' you don't hear things like that these days, do you(?!) charming indeed... The comedy is mostly visual/slapstick based. There's a strong theme of competitiveness present, including in relation to the women the men are involved with. The men come across as grown up kids, having arguments and being annoyed at the littlest thing, their seemingly quite petty. I enjoyed seeing how the women responded to certain situations, how their stood up for themselves etc. Suffice to say there are plenty of domestic tiffs present. I'd say the women come off as the more intellectual, reasonable people overall. Would I recommend it?. Watching the film, I distinctly found it amusing, it entertained me for the hour and a half running time and so I'd recommend it on that basis. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L If you had to put a single word to this film, it would be something along the lines of 'genial'; a very British blending of politeness and amiability coupled with a love of the conservative and slightly old-fashioned. The particular unrelenting and somewhat prudish patriotism that the film celebrates is only reinforced by a bit of production trivia - the script originally called for a pair of early British vehicles (as opposed to their ultimate Dutch and French substitutes), but no British collector could be located who wold subject their precious vehicles to such potential abuse, so strong was their affinity for them! There are melodramatic elements that never seem to really land quite as well (including musing on past indiscretions that are rather unresolved by the film's end), and the comedy is far from sharp (more 'sensible chuckle' territory), so I can hardly call the film an unqualified success, but can understand why its peculiarities would appeal to someone with an affinity for the romanticized idea of Old England. Just to clarify how English these characters are: when competing in a race that risks the majority of their life savings, a couple refuses to speed off rather than break a conversation with a polite random passersby. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/03/20 Full Review John L Genevieve defines the meaning of 'charming'; quiet simply charming! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/16 Full Review Audience Member This movie was so bad, I didn't want to keep watching, but as the 'best British comedy,' I felt it had to get better. It didn't. I didn't laugh once. Four people being mean and immature to each other is not funny in this case. If a car backfiring and breaking down will make you laugh, then maybe you will enjoy it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Charming british comedy based on the London to Brighton car race. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Genevieve

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this upbeat British comedy, two friends enter an antique car rally. Alan McKim (John Gregson) drives his beloved 1904 automobile, named Genevieve, while Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More) takes his vintage Spyker car. Alan and Ambrose bring their wives (Dinah Sheridan, Kay Kendall) along for the wild ride from London to Brighton, and the trek soon turns fiercely competitive, each driver devising clever ways to sabotage the other in hopes of winning the race.
Director
Henry Cornelius
Screenwriter
William Rose
Production Co
Sirius Productions
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 18, 1954, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Feb 15, 1954
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 26m
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