The Franchise Affair (film) explained

The Franchise Affair
Director:Lawrence Huntington
Producer:Robert Hall
Based On:The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
Starring:Michael Denison
Dulcie Gray
Marjorie Fielding
Cinematography:Günther Krampf
Music:Philip Green
Editing:Clifford Boote
Studio:Associated British
Distributor:Associated British-Pathé
Runtime:95 minutes
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Gross:£117,966 (UK)[1]

The Franchise Affair is a 1951 British mystery thriller film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Anthony Nicholls and Marjorie Fielding. It is a faithful adaptation of the novel The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey.[2] It was shot at Elstree Studios with location shooting taking place around Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire which stood in for the fictional town of Melford. The film's sets were designed by the art director Terence Verity.

Plot

In a quiet English market town, 17-year-old schoolgirl Betty Kane (Ann Stephens) claims that the owners of an isolated house ("The Franchise"), spinster Marion Sharpe (Dulcie Gray) and Marion's mother (Marjorie Fielding), kidnapped and beat her. The police believe Betty's story, but local lawyer Robert Blair (Michael Denison), a bachelor, is sceptical. Risking ostracism from the community, Blair quietly sets about proving the innocence of the two women. The community begin to shun the women as they have already effectively been tried by the local press. Attacks on the house begin: breaking windows and painting graffiti on the walls. Local garage mechanics (Kenneth More and Patrick Troughton) offer to help guard the house.

It eventually emerges that Betty was claiming to be 19 and was having an affair with a travelling salesman. She planned to explain her absence by a kidnap and chose "The Franchise" house, having seen it over the high wall from the top of a double decker bus, and hearing about the house and its occupants from a former employee, whom she easily manipulates and dominates.

Lawyer Blair asks Marion to marry him, but she declines and after the trial she and her mother go to fly away to Canada. However Robert is sitting in the seat behind her on the plane and surprises them both.

Critical reception

Notes and References

  1. Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p493
  2. Web site: BFI | Film & TV Database | The FRANCHISE AFFAIR (1950) . https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110806/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6aa9395f . dead . 9 April 2018 . Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk . 2009-04-16 . 2014-03-13.
  3. Web site: Crowther . Bosley . Movie Review - The Franchise Affair - THE SCREEN . . 1952-06-06 . 2014-03-13.
  4. Web site: The Franchise Affair - Sky Movies HD . Skymovies.sky.com . 2003-05-21 . 2014-03-13.