Last Holiday

Moviecut—Last Holiday

source: Last Holiday

This film struck me with it's similarities to Altman's Gosford Park. Both are in the same time frame, both deal with the changing social structure in Britain during the middle of the last century. While Guinness is very much the star, the ensemble support cast more than hold their own. Great to see Sid James in a relatively straight role. A neglected gem, it should be more available and not relegated as an overnight schedule filler, where I caught it last night on Britain's Channel 4.

The first time I saw this film it made an impression for life, and it still does, its story belonging to timelessness in its simple but all-encompassing wisdom displaying almost a documentary about the facts of life and death, how to relate with them when it comes to a crisis and how unfathomably and relentlessly it will reveal yourself when everything is put on an edge. It's J.B.Priestley's most brilliant story that couldn't have been better realized than by Alec Guinness (in perhaps his finest and most sensitive acting ever on film) and Kay Walsh managing to make a heart of gold convincing under a hard surface of obviously too much hard experience. All the guests at the hotel add to the fantastic setting of an ideal community brought together by the mysterious crisis, that everyone feels but no one can understand, probably even less when destiny strikes home and reveals the full unalterable truth - when all the cards are on the table, everyone is even more at a loss than when they were wandering lost in a mystery. This is a beautiful film for all times and ages with a story that could have been written by an aged and saged Oscar Wilde in its profound brilliance of wit and invention. The key to the whole thing is set from the beginning by the strange detail of the blind fiddler - Alec Guinness' reaction when the surprise is repeated is unforgettable, and his long face couldn't be more convincing. The film is full of details like this, though, and each time you see it, you make more delightful discoveries. Perfect story, perfect psychology, perfect and unforgettable display of how the whims of destiny make fools of us all - with perhaps something learned on the way.

This is a rare opportunity to see life as it is felt by the lower class in the United Kingdom. The portrayal brings this mousy character to life, and who begins to live life as it should have been lived in his earlier years. It does have a moral, never put off today in hopes of a better tomorrow.

For as great a film as "Last Holiday" is, it's probably not for everybody. That dawned on me in reading the few reviews of people who didn't rate it very highly. I don't mean to criticize such viewers, or to put down anyone who may not appreciate or enjoy the same things that I do. It's simply to observe – again, from these few reviews, that some people may not like this type of sophisticated comedy. Comedy of a demure nature is an especially early type of British humor. It often employs very subtle tongue-in-cheek dialog. And it often requires reading between the lines. Some reviewers also saw the ending as unfortunate. This is not a comedy with slapstick, pratfalls, crazy antics, or even lots of witty dialog. Rather, it is a comedy of human nature, interwoven with drama and romance in a wonderful study and expose of presumption, stereotypes and prejudice. Lastly, it is one other thing which some may not have noticed. "Last Holiday" is a very pert satire of the upper class and well-to-do. And, it seems to me that it also takes a stab at the English medical system. This is a brilliant screenplay and it has superb directing, editing and technical aspects. All of the cast in this wonderful British film are excellent. What a diverse bunch of characters. Alec Guinness plays George Bird, around whom the entire story unfolds. Although he was 36 years-old when he made this film, Guinness was fairly new to the silver screen. He began his acting career on the stage in the mid-1930s, and served in the Royal Navy in World War II. After the war, he returned to the stage, and then in 1946 had an opportunity to play the role of Herbert Pocket in the David Lean production of Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." He gave an excellent performance in that minor role, and then excelled as Fagin in the 1948 production of Dickens's "Oliver Twist." By the next year, 1949, Guinness firmly established himself as an outstanding actor. He played eight separate roles, with memorable lines of dialog, voice changes and considerable makeover in "Kind Hearts and Coronets." It's one of the best crime comedy films ever made. The only person to appear in more roles in one film was Buster Keaton in a 1921 silent short, "The Play House." But the bulk of his two dozen characters were simply film shots with no lines. It may be true that the younger generations today only know Alec Guinness from his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three of the Star Wars films (1977, 1980 and 1983). But any movie buff will know Guinness more for his many earlier films and outstanding roles. Besides his Oscar performance in "The Bridge on the River Kwai," (1958), Guinness won awards or was nominated for Golden Globe, BAFTA, or Emmy awards in "The Lavender Hill Mob" of 1951, "The Horse's Mouth" of 1958, "Startime" of 1959, "Little Dorrit" of 1987, and "Smileys People" of 1982. He is the only actor in the line of Star Wars films to be nominated for an Oscar. And, he had superb roles in a host of other outstanding movies, in both comedies and dramatic roles. Others describe some of the story and action in "Last Holiday." I won't say anymore to give away the plot. But I think the final scene was perfect for this story. By the smile on his face, I think George Bird wouldn't have it end any other way. Perhaps others sensed a message as well. See if you do.

Absent for years in Europe on both TV and Video, I finally managed to acquire this one on a VHS tape from the US. A man learns he has a short time to live and decides to make the most of it by living it up in a luxury hotel. His life suddenly becomes far more interesting, makes more money than ever before and luck generally smiles him in the face. I remember seeing it about Thirty years ago and wondered how a new viewing would affect me. There were one or two disappointments, I had a memory of the film being rather more romantic than it actually is ( nothing much actually happens on this side ) and parts of the film are rather 'chatty'. This said the overall story is quite original. The film captures that now long-lost atmosphere of a luxury 1950's English hotel in the bright sunshine presumably situated in Devon or Cornwall (as we see palm trees in the garden. There are many well-known actors and the script is quite original to say the least. Another of J.B. Priestley's stories 'An Inspector Calls' was also made on film and is actually very good, even better than 'Last Holiday'. Nevertheless, the haunting theme music (solo fiddle) and thedécors are A1. Picture and sound quality are very good for the time (1950) and I am surprised that the film is not readily available on VHS and DVD everywhere! Of course, Alec Guinness was a great actor and his performance here is totally up to standard. If the romantic side of it all had been pushed just a little further the film would have been perfect for me ! The ending of the film is the Wickedest and most unexpected in the history of cinema !

When Englishman George Byrd, living out a very small life, finds out he has the rare Lampington's Disease with no cure, he decides to make the most of the time he has left. He quits his job as an underappreciated salesman and plans a vacation to a seaside hotel he's always wanted to visit. He doesn't tell anyone about his illness but instead becomes the man he's always wanted to be. He spends all his money, lets his nice personality shine through, makes friends, and even falls in love. If this sounds a tad familiar, it's because Hollywood made a remake in 2006. The gender of the protagonist was changed (from George to Georgia) and a lot more humor and heartwarming scenes were added. I've always called Last Holiday the best remake ever because the original was so depressing and awful, I was sorry I watched it in the first place. The remake is one of my favorite movies of all time. Even if you're an Alec Guinness fan, you probably won't like this one.

A poignant, bitter-sweet comedy that drives home its points in clever, subtle ways. Surprisingly, for a film 50 years old, the acting, direction and story line keep it fresh and timely. Alec Guiness "made his bones" in excellent early films such as this and gave us a sneak preview of the greatness that was to come.

A film i first saw over 20 years ago ,and one which has stuck in my memory,especially the haunting violin music played at the end just after the housekeeper comes in and announces"I just thought you'd like to know, Mr Bird is dead" . Mr bird,given a short time to live due to his being miss-diagnosed as having lampingtons disease is told to take a last holiday by his doctor ,he chooses a rather genteel hotel which is inhabited by a variety of characters of a middle class and rather snobbish bent, these characters are played by some of this country's finest character actors of the time. The ending rivals chaplin's 'city lights' for it's poignancy and ability to move you to tears