Simon and Laura (1955)

Interesting facts

• Filmed in: Pinewood Studios

Simon and Laura is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Peter Finch and Kay Kendall.

Production

It was Finch's first leading role in a British film.

Melville's original was adapted by Peter Blackmore, author of the successful play and film Miranda. With Finch and Kendall in the leads, the titular couple became significantly younger (though dialogue referring to them as theatrical veterans remained). Their agent, a German-accented character called Wolfstein in the play, became a very English one called Bertie Burton; their Canadian scriptwriter, Janet Honeyman, became plain English too.

The film version went into production at Pinewood in the first week of June 1955, immediately after the play's closure at the Apollo. It opened at the Gaumont Haymarket on 24 November (on a bill with On Such a Night), with general release following on 26 December.

Muriel Box saw Ian Carmichael play his role on stage "and I thought he would be wonderful in the film, so I insisted on having him even though Rank didn’t want him. They wanted a more established 'star' name. I knew the cast I wanted – Kay Kendall, Peter Finch and Thora Hird. Normally the casting is left to the director but Rank had no hesitation in saying if they disagreed with you.

Early in filming Peter Finch and Kay Kendall watched rushes and asked Rank's head of production Earl St John that Muriel Box be replaced. After discussions it was decided that Box should stay on the film if she allowed them to take a more improvisational approach, although she did not have a strong rapport with her stars.

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