The Happy Family (1936)
A sharp British comedy from 1936 in which a couple fakes financial ruin to reform their freeloading relatives.
The Happy Family - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1936
- Directed by: Maclean Rogers
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Comedy
- Runtime: 1h 7m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Release Date (Theatrical): January 1, 1936 (United Kingdom)
- Production Companies: British Lion Films
- Production Countries: United Kingdom
The Happy Family - Plot
A mother and father who, in order to shock their extended family out of their idle spendthrift ways, pretend to have lost all their money.
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The Happy Family - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Maclean Rogers
Main Cast
- Max Adrian
- D.A. Clarke-Smith
- Hugh Williams
- Muriel George
- Eve Gray
- Glennis Lorimer
- Ellen Pollock
- Leonora Corbett
- Dick Francis
Writers
- Maclean Rogers
- Kathleen Butler
Producers
- Herbert Smith
The Happy Family - FAQs
What is The Happy Family (1936) about?
The Happy Family follows a married couple who hatch a clever scheme: they pretend to have lost all their money in order to shake their idle, free-spending relatives out of their comfortable complacency. It's a light, witty British comedy built around family dynamics and social pretense.
Does The Happy Family have a happy ending?
True to its comedic roots, The Happy Family wraps up on a warm and satisfying note. The parents' ruse ultimately achieves its goal, and the family's dynamics shift in the way the couple had hoped — making for a cheerful, feel-good conclusion.
Who directed The Happy Family in 1936?
The film was directed by Maclean Rogers, a prolific British filmmaker who was particularly active in the 1930s and 1940s. Rogers also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Kathleen Butler, giving him strong creative control over the production.
Who stars in The Happy Family (1936)?
The cast features Dick Francis as Mr. Hutt and Leonora Corbett as Barbara Hutt, alongside Hugh Williams, Max Adrian, Eve Gray, Ellen Pollock, Glennis Lorimer, Muriel George, and D.A. Clarke-Smith — a strong ensemble of British stage and screen talent of the era.
Is The Happy Family considered a lost film?
The Happy Family is indeed associated with the 'lost film' designation, meaning no known surviving print has been confirmed in major archives. Many British quota quickies from the 1930s suffered this fate, making the film a rare and historically significant piece of cinema history.
What are movies similar to The Happy Family?
If you enjoy the family-centric comedy of The Happy Family, you might also like Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Overboard (1987), or The Addams Family (2019). For something more contemporary, YES DAY (2021) and Playing with Fire (2019) share a similar lighthearted, family-focused spirit.
Who produced The Happy Family (1936)?
The film was produced by Herbert Smith under the banner of British Lion Films, one of the prominent British production and distribution companies of the era. British Lion was known for backing a wide range of domestic productions throughout the 1930s.
Where can I find more information about The Happy Family?
For more details on The Happy Family (1936), IMDb and TMDb are great starting points — they carry cast listings, crew credits, and production details. Wikidata also holds structured reference data on the film for those interested in archival or research purposes.
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