Trio (1950)

Directors:

Ken Annakin
Harold French

Writers:

Noel Langley (writer)
W. Somerset Maugham (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

20 December 1950 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Tobacconist | Verger | Grandchild | Jewelry | Fake Jewelry

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

James Hayter	...	Albert Foreman (in segment The Verger)
Kathleen Harrison	...	Emma Foreman (in segment The Verger)
Felix Aylmer	...	Bank Manager (in segment The Verger)
Lana Morris	...	Gladys (in segment The Verger)
Michael Hordern	...	Vicar (in segment The Verger)
Glyn Houston	...	(segment "The Verger")
Eliot Makeham	...	Sexton (in segment The Verger)
Henry Edwards	...	Church Warden (in segment The Verger)
Anne Crawford	...	Mrs. Ramsey (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Nigel Patrick	...	Kelada (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Naunton Wayne	...	Mr. Ramsey (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Mr. Gray (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Clive Morton	...	Ship's Captain (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Bill Travers	...	Fellowes (in segment Mr. Know-All) (as Bill Linden-Travers)
Dennis Harkin	...	Captain's steward (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Michael Medwin	...	Steward (in segment Mr. Know-All)
Jean Simmons	...	Evie Bishop (in segment Sanitorium)
Michael Rennie	...	Major Templeton (in segment Sanitorium)
Roland Culver	...	Mr. Ashenden (in segment Sanitorium)
Raymond Huntley	...	Mr. Chester (in segment Sanitorium)
Betty Ann Davies	...	Mrs. Chester (in segment Sanitorium)
André Morell	...	Dr. Lennox (in segment Sanitorium)
John Laurie	...	Mr. Campbell (in segment Sanitorium)
Finlay Currie	...	Mr. McLeod (in segment Sanitorium)
W. Somerset Maugham	...	The Introducer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrew Crawford	...	(uncredited)
Marjorie Fielding	...	Mrs. Whitbread (uncredited)
Harry Fowler	...	(uncredited)
Shelagh Fraser	...	(uncredited)
Joan Marion	...	(uncredited)
Mary Merrall	...	Miss Atkin (uncredited)
Kynaston Reeves	...	(uncredited)
Joan Schofield	...	(uncredited)
Johnnie Schofield	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Michael Ward	...	(uncredited)
Mela White	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Annakin		(episode "Mr. Know-All") (episode "Verger, The")
Harold French		(segment "Sanatorium")

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Noel Langley		writer
W. Somerset Maugham		screenplay
W. Somerset Maugham		stories
R.C. Sherriff		writer

Produced by
Antony Darnborough	....	producer

Original Music by
John Greenwood

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Unsworth
Reginald H. Wyer

Film Editing by
Alfred Roome

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Maurice Carter

Costume Design by
Julie Harris

Makeup Department
W.T. Partleton	....	makeup artist
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
William N. Boyle	....	production manager
Douglas Peirce	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Goddard	....	assistant director
Gerry O'Hara	....	assistant director
Peter Manley	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jim O'Connolly	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
C.C. Stevens	....	sound recordist
Sydney Box	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Peter Davies	....	first assistant dubbing mixer (uncredited)
Gus Lloyd	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Dudley Messenger	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bill Warrington	....	special effects
Albert Whitlock	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
David Harcourt	....	camera operator
Harold Haysom	....	camera operator
Jack Lowin	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Charles Trigg	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Edwards	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Bob Rayner	....	wardrobe supervisor: men (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Eric Rogers	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Eric Rogers	....	music arranger: source music (uncredited)

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller
Constance Willis	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gainsborough Pictures

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1950) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Trivia:

'Andrew Crawford' was going to star but dropped out before filming.

Movie Connections:

Follows Quartet (1948)

Making What It Can of Problematic Material

The second of three movies showcasing the short stories of W. Somerset Maugham, "Trio" gives us three more stories, the first two of which are light and frothy things that fairly dance off the screen. The second, "Mr. Know-All," is remarkable for its wonderful humanness. It seems all the characters who must deal with this Passenger from Hell are quite content to suffer the fool gladly; their comments to each other about Mr. Kelada are neither mean nor cruel, only witty and downright philosophical. I enjoyed this story (and its ending, celebrating people at their finest) immensely. The third, and longest, story, "The Sanitorium" failed to reach beyond the grinding melodrama of, say, "The High and the Mighty" -- a bunch of people thrown together show what they're made of. The rather sappy ending didn't help. But your mileage may vary, of course. Luckily, good solid film-making raises this problematic movie higher than it might otherwise have landed.