Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

jc-osms I had just recently read Arnold Bennett's hugely entertaining comedic mini-novel on the inexorable rise of Denry Machin and had no idea it had ever been made into a movie, far less one with direction by Ronald Neame, a screenplay by Eric Ambler and starring Alec Guinness and Glynis Johns. Being from a different studio, it strictly speaking doesn't qualify as an Ealing Comedy but in every other respect, it surely does, displaying all the understated charm and verve of the very best of them.I was pleased that the film followed the novel so closely, with only a few incidents which didn't merit inclusion (such as Denry's elaborate trick to move his mother into a grander house, the incident with the Duchess's glove and his getting locked inside the Duchess's grand house) and one or two new ones added (like Ruth's happy ending and the parade for Denry and Nellie at the end). In fact the closing scene where Denry ends up back on his little mule-drawn carriage is a delightful touch of which I'm sure the author would have approved, indeed the whole scene which roll-calls all of Denry's past achievements is a very clever device.Guinness, as you would expect, is superb as the get-ahead heart-of-gold Denry but he is matched by Johns as the go-getting spendthrift Ruth, with a wheedling voice that would turn milk. Valerie Hobson is grand as the charitable, down-to-earth Duchess while the young Petula Clark is charming as the innocent Neillie who gets her just desserts too.There are many lovely moments in the film, like when's he crowd makes way for Denry to boldly dance the Duchess at her own ball for a £5 bet, the incident of Ruth's runaway carriage as she attempts to welsh on her rent, Denry's bold takeover of the ailing local football team to further his mayoral prospects and of course his devastating one-liner at Llandudno station to put Ruth in her place at long last.This superb little film deserves to be much better known as indeed does the parent novel. Do yourself a favour and read the book first and then treat yourself further by watching this marvellous adaptation straight afterwards. It's double delight.

gelman@attglobal.net Film goers who got to know Alec Guinness through the series of comedies he starred in for J. Arthur Rank will recognize the high performance standard he had attained by the early 1950's. His ascent seems swift but Guinness did not really get his start until after World War II, and he was already 38 when The Promoter/The Card was made. This film is a fairly lightweight comedy. Guinness' character, "Denry" Machin, is an imaginative young fellow who has a talent for seeing and seizing the main chance. He gets an important boost from a friendship with the Countess of Chell (Valerie Hobson), is nearly netted by the gold-digging Ruth Earp (Glynis Johns) and eventually finds his true love Nellie Cotterill (Petula Clark). I don't really consider this summary to contain any spoilers because most of the plot developments are visible a mile away. Much of the fun, in addition to that supplied directly by Guinness, comes from an assortment of near-Dickensian characters he encounters with aplomb on his way from poverty to riches.

Jackson Booth-Millard From director Ronald Neame (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Poseidon Adventure), any old film with Sir Alec Guinness is definitely worth trying in my opinion. Basically this is the charming story of Edward Henry 'Denry' Machin (Guinness), who finds many ways to rise in the ranks of business and social standing, both honest and some dishonest, and you can't help but like him. It starts with a job in an accountants, and then an invitation to a ball for the Countess of Chell (Valerie Hobson), and he keeps getting more and more money with every new and better job who charms his way into. He also forms a bond with dance teacher Ruth Earp (Mary Poppins' Glynis Johns), they do break up and he finds a new love with Nellie Cotterill (Petula Clark), but in the end, he manages to get to the rank of town mayor. Also starring Edward Chapman as Mr. Duncalf, Veronica Turleigh as Mrs. Machin, George Devine as Mr. Calvert, Gibb McLaughlin as Emery, Frank Pettingell as Police Superintendent, Joan Hickson as Mrs. Codleyn and Michael Hordern as Bank Manager. Guinness doesn't have to try to be nice and charming, he is so natural and I just found myself smiling all the way, and the support of Johns and Hobson are good too. I can see what the critics mean when they say that it is trying to present itself like an Ealing Studios comedy, but it doesn't matter, it is a nice pleasant film. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Sound, Recording. Sir Alec Guinness was number 12 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, he was number 2 on Britain's Finest Actors, and he was number 11 on The World's Greatest Actor. Good!

bkoganbing The Card must have been an interesting if somewhat painful film for Alec Guinness to make. This might have been the most autobiographical piece of work Guinness ever did.In The Card Guinness plays the son of washerwoman who learned early on to keep an eye out for the main chance and always strive to improve yourself by whatever means. In real life Guinness's mother should only have been a washerwoman In fact she was a prostitute who never married his father, whomever that could have been. In real life Guinness overcame bigger obstacles than his character in The Card ever did.But I'm sure he drew from real life in playing Denny Machin. Guinness in 91 minutes goes from a humble clerk to a position of real power in his area of England. The story is how he did it, the legal and extralegal methods employed and the people he used. When you think about it, The Card is a kinder, gentler version of Room At The Top.Guinness courts two women on his way up, Valerie Hobson the widow of a local lord and dancing instructor Glynis Johns. Glynis is quite the climber herself as we learn when the story unfolds. In fact she nearly steals the film from Guinness, no easy task.The Card which was released in the USA under the title of The Promoter is a good followup to such other Guinness everyman roles like he had in The Lavendar Hill Mob. The screenplay is quite good, I was kept very entertained seeing how Guinness could always make lemonade out of lemons. Definitely required viewing for Alec Guinness's legion of fans.