The Lady Is a Square
| Industry | Film production |
|---|---|
| Parent | Rank Organisation |
The Lady Is a Square is a 1958 British black-and-white musical comedy directed by Herbert Wilcox, featuring performances by Anna Neagle, Frankie Vaughan, and Janette Scott. This film represents Neagle's final screen role and is the third and last collaboration between Wilcox and Vaughan under Associated British, following their earlier project The Heart of a Man produced at Rank.
Plot
Mrs. Baring, a patron of classical music and a businesswoman, faces financial ruin and places her hopes on a concert tour by Spolenski, a musician from the Eastern Bloc, to recover her losses.
Johnny Burns, an aspiring vocalist, encounters Joanna, Mrs. Baring’s daughter, while masquerading as a piano tuner. He soon becomes the family’s butler, hiding his enthusiasm for popular music from Mrs. Baring, who strictly forbids Joanna from engaging with that genre. Meanwhile, Burns’ agent Freddy arranges an audition with Greenslade, a major record label in the popular music scene impressed by Burns’ abilities. Burns requests financial support from Greenslade to pay off Mrs. Baring’s disconnected telephone line, which she mistakenly attributes to another acquaintance.
Burns’ popularity rapidly increases; he secures an engagement at London’s The Talk of the Town, all while keeping his achievements secret from the Barings. Mrs. Baring struggles as Spolenski’s concerts attract few attendees, and when Spolenski demands £3,000 or threatens to withdraw, Burns covertly provides the money as an advance from Greenslade. After Joanna attends one of Burns’ performances, Mrs. Baring dismisses him and forbids Joanna from further contact. Burns labels her a "square," and his song titled "The Lady is a Square" seems to satirize her attitude.
Tensions ease once Mrs. Baring learns that Burns has been discreetly covering her expenses and intends to cancel a concert clashing with Spolenski’s schedule to increase ticket sales. When Spolenski falls ill, the tour is relaunched with financial backing from Greenslade.
During Burns’ concert featuring the National Youth Orchestra performing Handel's Ombra mai fu, Mrs. Baring and Joanna come to accept the blending of popular and classical music styles. The film concludes with Mrs. Baring dancing alongside Freddy and Johnny dancing with Joanna to swing rhythms.
In a playful studio moment, a producer comments that Johnny resembles "another Frankie Vaughan."
Cast
- Anna Neagle as Frances Baring
- Frankie Vaughan as Johnny Burns
- Janette Scott as Joanna Baring
- Anthony Newley as Freddy
- Wilfrid Hyde-White as Charles
- Christopher Rhodes as Greenslade
- Kenneth Cope as Derek
- Josephine Fitzgerald as Mrs. Eady
- Harold Kasket as Spolenski
- John Le Mesurier as Fergusson
- Ted Lune as Harry Shuttleworth
- Mary Peach as Mrs. Freddy
Production
Set in contemporary London theatre venues such as the then-new nightclub The Talk of the Town and the Royal Festival Hall, the film references prominent impresarios including Lord Delfont.
Music
The soundtrack features Vaughan performing "Love Is the Sweetest Thing," which was released as a single in 1959.
Releases
In 2001, the film was reissued theatrically by Paramount Pictures in North America and by Universal Pictures internationally.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin highlighted the film's sophisticated décor and opulent settings but pointed out its deficiency in glamour and excitement, mentioning inconsistent acting and awkward direction.
Variety commended Herbert Wilcox for successfully combining romance, comedy, and musical elements that cater to both popular and classical audiences, describing the film as lively and amusing.
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959, David Quinlan gave the movie an "average" rating, characterizing it as barely tolerable.
Leslie Halliwell regarded the film as a strained effort to follow the Spring in Park Lane style, featuring sincere performances alongside predictable humor.
Home media
The Lady is a Square saw its initial Region 1 (NTSC) DVD release in 2001 through Paramount Home Entertainment, followed by a Region 2 (PAL) DVD edition in 2002 distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment via StudioCanal. Later releases included a Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray by Paramount in October 2006, a Region 2 version by Universal in April 2009, and a Spanish edition issued by Filmax in October 2006.