User Reviews

I can't say whether the post-WWII British comedies produced at the Ealing Studios are an acquired taste or not, but I am completely addicted, and The Man in the White Suit is one of the best. No need to go into the well-known plot about the threat posed to both the textile industry and the textile unions by an indestructible, dirt-resistant fiber. Suffice it to say that the slings and arrows suffered by the naively idealistic Sidney Stratton in pursuing his polymer vision make for a comedic delight. Many of the well-known faces from the world of British character actors - the nervous Cecil Parker, the suavely devious Michael Gough, and the bluntly ruthless Ernest Thesinger - put in wonderful performances. Guinness - as always and forever - is superb, and Joan Greenwood is delectable as Daphne (just the way she enunciates the word "Daddy", makes the entire movie worth seeing).

"Knudsen!!!!!!!"

The Man in the White Suit is one of those delightful comedies that Ealing studies made so well in the 40's and 50's. The plot of this one follows a man that invents a cloth that neither gets dirty nor breaks. Of course, this is a huge breakthrough in the world of textiles. However, things are not that simple as the cloth will threaten the way of life of many people, including cloth manufacturers, the cloth mill's workforces, and even an old lady that does her washing every week. The Man in the White Suit is a film about scientific advances, and the way that they don't always help; as the old woman says at one point in the movie, "Why cant you scientists just leave things alone?"

Like a lot Ealing comedies, this one stars Sir Alec Guinness. Alec Guinness is a fantastic actor; he has the ability to light up the screen with his presence (and he does in this film, literally), but he also manages to portray his characters in a down to earth and believable way. He is suitably creepy in this film, and he captures just the right atmosphere for his character; an intelligent and ambitious, but slightly naive scientist. Along with Guinness, The Man in the White Suit also features Joan Greenwood, the deep voiced actress that co-starred with Guinness in the simply divine "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and Michael Gough, a man that would go on to get himself the role of Alfred in the Batman films. The acting in the film isn't always great, but it is always decent, and it's fits with the film.

The Man in the White Suit is an intelligent, thought-provoking and witty comedy with a moral. The comedy isn't always obvious, and it doesn't always work, but the film is not meant to be a film that provokes belly laughs, so that is forgivable. I recommend this movie, basically, to anyone that is a fan of movies.

The Man in the White Suit (1951)

A dry, wry, hilarious take on the idea that companies don't make their products too good because otherwise they'd never wear out. And you'd never need to buy more.

Alec Guinness is the star here, a quirky scientist amidst lots of wonderfully quirky scientists all working on new fabrics and fibers. Guinness a kind of early Peter Sellers, but far more buttoned up. He plays the slightly bumbling everyman who has a gift for genius at the right times, and in this case it's a Cambridge drop out names Sydney Stratton who discovers a superfiber that can be used to make superfabric. The crisis of making clothes that don't wear out, and don't get dirty, never dawns on the scientist, but the workers, and capitalist leaders, and the poor old laundrywoman understand immediately what it means for them.

Hence the comedy. It's a "delightful" comedy filled with easygoing laughs and general high spirits, but it really works in its innocence. The not-so-subtle commentary about social economics is part of the fun, and is especially British in its feel, though the ideas of work committees capitalist greed are not foreign to the rest of us. It might be almost odd to notice this, but the filming--the photography and lighting--is especially excellent. It's quite a beautiful black and white film.

There are some familiar character actors here for those who have seen other post-War British films, none of whose names I know, though Joan Greenwood, playing the semi-romantic female lead, seems worth paying attention to for her strong presence. Director Alexander Mackendrick has a handful of good films to his credit, and you can only wish he had made more ("The Sweet Smell of Success" is his most famous).

This is Guinness's movie, though, and by the final scenes of him running through the dark streets in his glowing white suit, well, that's just terrific old-school comedy, warm and funny and fast.

"Man in the White Suit" is perhaps, along with "Kind Hearts and Coronets," the pinnacle of the Ealing film. It's a very sophisticated and subtle comedy/farce that takes a dig at a number of the cultural institutions that characterise northern England. It's not so much a satire directed at capitalism but an opprobrium of the suspicious relationship between capital and labour and the broader unworkable relationship of commercial achievement with scientific progress. The success of the film resides in the subtlety with which these issues are explored and the even-handedness by which they are dealt with. At a more basic level the film is an excellent example of a farce as the frustration, misinterpretation and exaggerated comedy are delivered with a breath-taking pace. Very well written, even better direction and uniformly spot-on performances make this one of the great British films of the 1950s.

For me this is Ealing Studio's most perfect film - as fresh and relevant half a century later as it was the day it was released.

As a satire on economic notions of 'growth' and the commercial need for in-built obsolescence, it could scarcely be more up-to-the-minute. And of what other film can it be said that the hero literally wears the plot?

Oddly, there are parallels with Jurassic Park, in which messing with the environment will literally turn round and bite you. But Spielberg shied away from the book's brilliant central conceit to tack on some nonsense about 'children'. Hmmm.

In The Man In The White Suit, Alec Guiness plays an idealistic young scientist who comes up with a cloth that never gets dirty and never wears out. Suddenly workers and capital at the northern English mill where he is working are united as never before in protection of their livelihoods.

Of course, being Ealing, it's a comedy, but it needn't have been. The complex interplay of vested (should that be suited?) interests plays out beautifully, as one by one all parties realize that 'progress' is a threat, and that disposability and waste are what keep the looms turning.

But, yes, this is a comedy - albeit a pointed one - and amid the political ironies are delicious performances, and some good old-fashioned knock-about laughs.

Nonetheless, it's the biting satire that endures - dazzling and white.

When I learned of Sir Alec Guinness' death, this was the first of his many films I thought of re-seeing. What a wonderful droll commentary the film provides even after all these years. And Guinness helps to weave the charm into every frame. His eyes and face are as luminous as that white suit he wears. Both he and the film have to be considered lifetime favorites.

"The man in the white suite" is not Alexander Mackendrick's best film ("The sweet smell of success", 1957). It is not even his best Ealings comedy ("The ladykillers", 1955). But it is an enjoyable film that is surprisingly actual.

The white suite in the film is a variant of the ever-burning light bulb, that is he does not wear out. That's of course a threat to the industry. Wastage is ecologically a threat but comercially a blessing. With durability it is the other way round. With global warming this tension is very relevant in today's world.

The film does highlight the tension that can exist between ecology and capitalism, but in this film (early 50s) there is no tension at all between employers and employees. Both embrace capitalism unequivocally, one due to the profits the other with respect to the employment opportunities. It is only the loner Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) who takes side of the ecology (and of his invention).

Sidney Stratton is not a tramp, but he is eccentric. He has integrity too, selling his innovation not for money nor for amorous favors. In this way he shares some characteristics with Charlie Chaplin's lttle tramp (without being an immitation of it). At the end of the film he walks out the street, heading for a new adventure, just like the little tramp at the end of "Modern times" (1936, Charlie Chaplin).

Often tagged as a comedy, The Man In The White Suit is laying out far more than a chuckle here and there.

Sidney Stratton is an eccentric inventor who isn't getting the chances to flourish his inventions on the world because nobody pays him notice, he merely is the odd ball odd job man about the place as it were. After bluffing his way into Birnley's textile mill, he uses their laboratory to achieve his goal of inventing a fabric that not only never wears out, but also never needs to be cleaned!. He is at first proclaimed a genius and those who ignored him at first suddenly want a big piece of him, but then the doom portents of an industry going bust rears its head and acclaim quickly turns to something far more scary.

Yes the film is very funny, in fact some scenes are damn hilarious, but it's the satirical edge to the film that lifts it way above the ordinary to me. The contradictions about the advent of technology is a crucial theme here, do we want inventions that save us fortunes whilst closing down industries? You only have to see what happened to the coal industry in Britain to know what I'm on about. The decade the film was made is a crucial point to note, the making of nuclear weapons became more than just hearsay, science was advancing to frighteningly new proportions. You watch this film and see the quick turnaround of events for the main protagonist Stanley, from hero to enemy in one foul swoop, a victim of his own pursuit to better mankind! It's so dark the film should of been called The Man In The Black Suit.

I honestly can't find anything wrong in this film, the script from Roger MacDougall, John Dighton and director Alex Mackendrick could be filmed today and it wouldn't be out of place such is the sharpness and thought of mind it has. The sound and setting is tremendous, the direction is seamless, with the tonal shift adroitly handled by Mackendrick. Some of the scenes are just wonderful, one in particular tugs on the heart strings and brings one to think of a certain scene in David Lynch's Elephant Man some 29 years later, and yet after such a downturn of events the film still manages to take a wink as the genius that is Alec Guinness gets to close out the film to keep the viewers pondering not only the future of Stanley, but also the rest of us in this rapidly advancing world.

A timeless masterpiece, thematically and as a piece of art. 10/10

Like many of the Ealing comedies (British flicks in the 1950s starring Alec Guinness), I found The Man in the White Suit to be far more dramatic than funny. I probably laughed twice during the entire movie, and when it was over, I felt an intense wave of sadness.

Alec Guinness stars as a man with big ideas. He works in a huge scientific laboratory, but since he's only a lowly janitor, he doesn't have access to use the materials, nor to the bigwigs who might listen to him. One day, when no one's looking, he sneaks some use of some extra chemicals and concocts a formula. We hear the gobbelty-gook of the chemical reactions, and as they grow louder and attract more attention, Alec grows happier. At last it's ready: he's created a formula for clothing that won't get dirty and never wears out.

The reason I don't consider this a comedy is because after he successfully makes his formula, he thinks it'll be an easy sell and a hot commodity. However, he fails to recognize human nature for what it is. Everyone else in the movie tries to stop him from putting his product on the market, and at times, it's quite upsetting. If you can take strongly ironic and cynical movies, you might be able to appreciate this one. But just don't expect to split your sides laughing.

In this Ealing comedy, Alec Guinness plays an eccentric even a naive chemist who develops surreptitiously a fabric that stays clean and does not wear out.

The result, textile firms are hostile to his invention because the new product would put them out of business, so they want to buy his invention and suppress it. The workers are hostile because it will put them out of jobs. If clothes last forever, then more people and looms are not needed to make it.

Through it all, Guinness carries on bemused as to why are so many people are upset, displaying little knowledge of the economic realities of life.

The film is a political and social satire, although it may had once been sharp but has blunted over time, it still has relevance even now. We have cars these days that are more powerful, has more gadgets and controls and more reliable than before with extra long warranties. This means we change cars less often to the chagrin of automobile makers but its good for the consumer.

However here the central concept is hard to take. The brilliant white suit looks unfashionable (and people tend to change clothes because fashion changes so often) and its hard to side with Guinness whose character appears to be cold, naive, odd, endearing but stupid as well. How he thinks the world would fall at its feet with the new invention is hard to fathom. Also there has been no proper product testing, very much like the white suit you can sense it will unravel.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time! It is a fantastic satire of industrial society. Sidney Stratton develops a revolutionary new fibre that will, in theory, never wear out and never get dirty. The owners of the textile mills wants to suppress this new invention because it will mean the end of their businesses. The workers want to suppress this new invention becuase it will mean the end of their jobs. However, the two groups do not trust each other. It is this distrust which drives the hysterical second half of the film.

One of the mill owners makes a funny speech about capital and labor working together.....working together to suppress advancement.

Perhaps given the state of British industry prior the mid 1980's, the author of the play on which the movie was based, was trying to warn British unions and management about the errors of their ways.....

What starts out as a fairly standard pseudo sci-fi comedy soon becomes a farcical social satire that sets its sight both on big business and labour unions. 'The Man In The White Suit (1951)' is, essentially, a commentary on how both sides of the consumerist coin work in tandem to quash any ideas that might actually improve the lives of the general public. It's a somewhat subtle examination of how the system is incredibly difficult to uproot, with those at its top and its bottom both enforcing it because they basically have no other choice. This aspect of the picture is its most interesting, as it feels well-observed if a little bleak. The actual ending isn't entirely hopeless; the protagonist's indomitable spirit just can't be kept down. In general, the film is fairly enjoyable. A long chase sequence is probably one of its more straightforward delights. The flick starts out quite slow, with a relatively dull first act, but it picks up considerably in its latter half. It's a solid experience. 6/10

Although most Americans have little knowledge of his work other than Star Wars, Alec Guinness produced an amazing body of work--particularly in the 1940s-1950s--ranging from dramas to quirky comedies. I particularly love his comedies, as they are so well-done and seem so natural and real on the screen--far different from the usual fare from Hollywood.

This being said, this was the film that sparked my interest in these movies. It's plot was so odd and cute that it is very unlikely the film would have been made anywhere--except for Ealing Studios--which had a particular fondness for "little" films like this one.

Guinness is a nerdy little scientist that works for a textile company. He wants to experiment in order to create a synthetic fabric that is indestructible, though he is not working for the company as a researcher but for janitorial work! So, he tends to sneak into labs (either during the day if no one suspects or at night) and try his hand at inventing. Repeatedly, he is caught (such as after he blew up the lab) and given the boot until one day he actually succeeds! Then, despite the importance of the discovery, he sets off a completely unanticipated chain of events--and then the fun begins.

The film is a wonderful satire that pokes fun at industry, unions, the government and people in general.

I saw this movie only after hearing raves about it for years. Needless to say, the actual experience proved a bit anticlimactic. But still, Alec Guiness energetically leads a wonderful cast in a jolly, if formulaic, romp through industrial post-WWII England.

This is the familiar tale of the woes of inventing the perfect everyday product. Remember the car that runs on water? Remember the promise of nuclear energy? In this case, it's a fabric that doesn't wear out, wrinkle, or even get dirty! Of course, fabric manufacturers and their workers are horrified at the prospect of being put out of business, and so the plot gets a bit thick.

Guiness makes the whole enterprise worthwhile, and watching him blow up a factory research lab over and over again is quite a blast! (Those Brits ... always the stiff upper lip when under fire.) The film might chug along exactly like Guiness's goofy invention, but it's a good ride all the same.

An unassuming, subtle and lean film, "The Man in the White Suit" is yet another breath of fresh air in filmic format from Ealing studios. While I suspect some modern viewers may initially find it obscure, I doubt many would fail to be charmed by the expert way the plot, the themes and characters are languidly relayed during the film's course.

The genuinely great Alec Guinness gives another fine characterization in a film perhaps not as obviously virtuoso as Ealing's inspired "Kind Hearts and Coronets" from 1949. This time, he merely plays one character rather than eight, but as the unworldly inventor and scientist Sidney Stratton, he always finds the correct tone and expression. Along with Guinness' subtle, expressive performance, the rest of the cast are effective. Of the main players, Cecil Parker and Ernest Thesiger do stand out. Thesiger is compellingly absurd as the crippled but influential business grandee, while Parker is dependable as the ineffectual yet pivotal mill owner and father. Father, that is, of Joan Greenwood, the deftly delectable comic actress, who is at her insurmountable peak in this film. Resplendent and seductive of aspect and diction, she is quite sublime in this film, a fine contrast with the similarly unusual, but more maladroit Guinness. The scene where she seemingly tries to tempt him is played so adeptly by the pair that it is both deeply poignant and amusing...

The themes are handled very effectively, with no easy morals drawn. The complexities of the relationships between science, business and the workforce are insightfully and enjoyably examined. Expertly helmed by Alexander Mackendrick, this film is technically adept in all areas; evocative photography, fitting sound effects and music and a wistful script, all quietly impress. A thoroughly satisfying film, with Guinness and Greenwood magnificent.

Rating:- **** 1/2/*****

The "little man against the Establishment" was a common theme of the Ealing comedies- the Scottish islanders of "Whisky Galore" who hide their precious whisky from the revenue men, the Cockneys of "Passport to Pimlico" who find that they are technically part of France and can therefore defy Britain's unpopular rationing laws with impunity, Alec Guinness' put-upon clerk in "The Lavender Hill Mob" who comes up with a scheme to rob the Bank of England and Dennis Price's poor relation in "Kind Hearts and Coronets" who tries to murder his way to a dukedom.

"The Man In The White Suit" falls within this tradition. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick, who also made "Whisky Galore" and "The Ladykillers". Mackendrick was, however, only one of a number of directors working at Ealing Studios- others included Charles Crichton, Robert Hamer and Henry Cornelius- yet despite this diversity of creative talent the films nevertheless possess a remarkable unity of style and purpose, which might call into question the oft-repeated assertion that the director is the "author" of a film. Perhaps in this case the true "auteur" of the Ealing comedies was the producer Michael Balcon.

It is perhaps appropriate that it came out in 1951, the year in which Britain's post-war Labour government was defeated by Churchill's resurgent Conservatives, because it satirises both the political Left, in the person of the trade unions, and the Right, represented by the wealthy industrialists. The "little man" in this instance is Sidney Stratton, a brilliant young research chemist working in the textile industry who is obsessed with inventing a long-lasting artificial fibre. Eventually, he succeeds. His new fibre is incredibly strong, never wears out and repels dirt and therefore never needs cleaning. The title refers to a white suit which Stratton has made from his miracle new fabric.

Stratton expects to be hailed as a benefactor of mankind, but his invention is welcomed by neither the management nor the unions, both of whom realise that an everlasting, virtually indestructible cloth will destroy their industry. The mill owners try to persuade him to sell the rights to them, but he refuses, knowing full well that once they have control of the patent they will suppress his invention and prevent it from ever being manufactured. The film then turns into something of a slapstick comedy, with both managers and workers trying to lock Stratton away to prevent him from revealing the story to the press.

The Ealing comedy with which this one has most in common is "The Titfield Thunderbolt" from the following year, although visually the two films are very different. "The Man in the White Suit" is in black-and- white and set against the background of a Lancashire mill town, with most of the scenes filmed indoors in factories or dingy boarding-houses, whereas "The Titfield Thunderbolt" is in colour with most of the action taking place outdoors amid some beautiful rural scenery. Yet thematically speaking both films deal with the clash between public- spirited idealism and commerce as business and unions combine to defend their vested interests against change.

Ealing tended to rely upon a few actors who fitted in well with their style; Joan Greenwood, who appears here as the mill-owner's daughter Daphne Birnley (the nearest thing to a love-interest for Sidney), also appeared in two others, "Kind Hearts and Coronets", and "Whisky Galore". Stratton himself is played by Alec Guinness, another Ealing stalwart who also starred in "Kind Hearts and Coronets", "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Ladykillers". Here he plays Stratton as a rather geeky, unworldly idealist who is no match for the cunning and duplicity of his employers and the self-interest of his fellow-workers. (Luddite tendencies of this sort were, along with bureaucratic stupidity, one of Ealing's favourite targets). Like Henry Holland, Guinness' character in "The Lavender Hill Mob", Sidney is the archetypal put-upon little man, but unlike Holland he is never tempted to go outside the law in his fight against the system.

"The Man in the White Suit" is a sharp, effective satire on industrial relations and social attitudes in the Britain of the early fifties, and Guinness is very good (as he normally was) but I have never really regarded it as one of the really great Ealing comedies. It is one of the bleaker entries in the series, without the warmth and humanity of "Passport to Pimlico" or "The Titfield Thunderbolt", but does not quite possess the brilliantly cynical black humour of "Kind Hearts…." or "The Ladykillers". It is a good film, but falls just short of being a great one. 7/10

I've had this movie on tape for years and started watching it again this morning (while waiting for my laundry --- how ironic!) mostly because I wanted to hear Benjamin Frankel's title music again. I ended up sitting through about the first half hour, entranced by how wonderfully assured the direction, writing, and performances are. The movie is like a who's who of 50s British character stars: Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Miles Malleson, Duncan Lamont, and particularly Ernest Thesiger, great as the dessicated old giant of the textile mills. Not to mention Alec Guinness and Joan Greenwood, not character players as such but charming, charismatic leads. This is science fiction in its purest form and droll comedy as well. An all-time classic, and I hope no one ever tries to remake it!

In my mind the best of the Ealing comedies and one of my favourite films of all time. The theme of workers v. management (with lots of talk of unions and rights) perhaps dates the film a bit now as it's no longer a subject discussed all that much but that doesn't stop "White Suit" from being a show stopping classic.

The plot, about a man trying to create a revolutionary new fabric which ends up putting the textiles industry into turmoil, doesn't sound exciting when written down but the film retains that essential spark of fantasy mixed with reality that marks it out as a true Ealing comedy. The fabric repels dirt and can never wear out! The titular white suit that Alec Guinness wears throughout the second half becomes the centrepiece for several iconic images and sequences, such as Guinness being able to use his indestructible thread to scale a sheer wall! The script itself is full of dry wit - "Is he all right?" "Yes." "Pity." - and characterisation is first rate. I'm always astonished by the wonderful direction in these films as well. Comedies of later eras would adopt a "point the camera at the actors and let it roll" mentality but the Ealing films always attempted interesting lighting and angles and innovations. This film is no exception.

Of course, it's the cast that lifts the material to dizzying heights. Alec Guinness gives a fantastically understated performance, with eyes that convey wonder, joy and crushing defeat whenever the story demands it. Stratton is a man oblivious to everything except his work. Such an insular character could quickly have become boring or irritating but Guinness effortlessly makes him likable, so much so that the closing stages of the film generate a real sense of urgency as Stratton tries to come out on top in a world that wants to bury everything he's ever worked for. Joan Greenwood plays another of her strong female roles and is an absolute delight to watch as usual, as are befuddled Cecil Parker and slimy Michael Gough; everybody gets laughs without even trying to. It's comical British understatement at its finest.

"The Man in the White Suit" is 81 minutes of sheer brilliance, with a great plot, great cast, sparkling wit and healthy dollops of cynicism. Absolutely top notch.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT is good and satirical entertainment, and here and there a funny lesson addressed the economy. The brilliant chemist after a series of expensive and unsuccessful experiments manages to find a way of producing fibers which is resistant to dirt. The story shows how his invention causes hostility to capitalist owners of textile factories worried they would lose their profits, and unions concerned that workers will lose their jobs.

In a deft, satiric and somewhat cynical way, this movie makes fun of modern industry. Topics in the film can be viewed seriously, but I think that naughty, cheeky and funny script that does not allow. In certain segments, we can figure out some moral values or the absence thereof. The sad outcome is certainly striking. It is interesting to see how a dynamic, humorous and exciting part of the film turns into a drama as the personification of the status quo.

Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton really dominated the situation, at one point is tricky, and in the second comic. Of course, there are moments of hysteria, satire or cynicism, but never disappointing. I think the script is not allowed bounce in his plays. Joan Greenwood as Daphne Birnley supports the main character. Charming and rebellious aristocrat. Development of romance is also one of the funniest parts of the movie. Other characters are pretty entertaining.

In the late 40's early 50's the Ealing studio released a series of dry, dark comedies that affectionately poked fun at many aspects of British life. Man In The White Suit was one of those films. Directed by the man who steered Whiskey Galore to success; staring Alex Guinness and Joan Greenwood who both had made an impression in previous Ealing Comedies; and using as its theme the contemporary concerns of progress, capitalism and the unions, this one was sure to impress. Indeed, for its light charm, many still regard this as a great film.

It's cute enough, and everyone goes through their paces with practised ease. The directorial touch is confident without being in any way stylish or interesting. It works. It's not a film that contains anything meaningful, impressive, interesting, moving or exciting, but it moves along and is rarely dull. It may wear its satire on its sleeve, and one complaint may be that the themes are pushed a little too heavily, but it entertains in a light and charming way.

Guinness is here at his most Hugh Grant popular. Not giving us a performance to admire, but certainly being boyishly cute.

This is a film that is neither good nor bad, but is that most fine thing for a wet Tuesday afternoon, a decently average movie.