| A Boy, a Girl and a Bike | |
| Director: | Ralph Smart |
| Screenplay: | Ted Willis |
| Story: | Ralph Keene & John Sommerfield |
| Producer: | Ralph Keene Alfred Roome |
| Starring: | John McCallum Honor Blackman Patrick Holt Diana Dors |
| Cinematography: | Ray Elton Phil Grindrod |
| Editing: | James Needs |
| Music: | Kenneth Pakeman |
| Studio: | Gainsborough Pictures |
| Runtime: | 92 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Gross: | £61,000 (by 1953)[1] |
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring John McCallum, Honor Blackman and Patrick Holt,[2] with art direction by George Provis.[3] The film is set in Wakeford and in the Yorkshire Dales. It features cycle sabotage and cycling tactics.
Young couple Sue and Sam are members of a Yorkshire cycling club, the Wakeford Wheelers. Romantic complications ensue when wealthy David becomes smitten with Sue and joins the club to pursue her, much to Sam's dismay.
The film is based on an original idea by Sydney Box, who was head of production at Gainsborough. Box devised the idea while out for a Sunday drive and assigned the script to Ted Willis, who had worked for Box on the scripts for Holiday Camp and The Huggetts Abroad. Willis had a reputation as a skilled writer for working-class characters. The film was originally titled Wheels Within Wheels.[4] [5]
Richard Attenborough was meant to play a key role but was busy making The Guinea Pig, so Patrick Holt played his part instead.[6]
In March 1948, Smart scouted locations in Yorkshire[7] and filming took place in September 1948 at Lime Grove Studios as well as on location in Yorkshire at places including Wakefield, Hebden Bridge, Skipton and Malham Cove.[8]
Variety called the film "feeble ... valueless for the US market."[9]
The Monthly Film Bulletin called the film a "simple unpretentious story enlivened by flashes of homely Yorkshire humour."[10]