{"id":48899,"date":"2020-06-03T12:28:36","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T19:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=48899"},"modified":"2021-01-23T14:23:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-23T21:23:45","slug":"last-holiday-1950","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=48899","title":{"rendered":"Last Holiday (1950)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;How do you keep smiling with a stiff upper lip?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Poster-133x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"133\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-48901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Poster-133x300.jpg 133w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Poster-57x128.jpg 57w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Poster.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 133px) 100vw, 133px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a salesman (Alec Guinness) is told by his doctor (Ronald Simpson) that he has a terminal disease, he decides to spend his last days and money at a posh hotel, where he unintentionally convinces everyone he&#8217;s actually a wealthy, well-bred traveler. He confides his true identity to the head housekeeper (Kay Walsh) while engaging in flirtation with the wife (Beatrice Campbell) of a young criminal (Brian Worth), and receiving countless offers for advice and work.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alec Guinness Films<\/li>\n<li>Black Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Character Arc<\/li>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Death and Dying<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Vacation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAfter providing notable supporting performance in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=13076\"><em>Great Expectations<\/em> (1946)<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=15172\"><em>Oliver Twist<\/em> (1948)<\/a>, Alec Guinness had a breakthrough (set of) roles as \u201cthe D\u2019Ascoynes\u201d in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24966\"><em>Kind Hearts and Coronets<\/em> (1949)<\/a>, followed shortly by his leading work here as an unassuming man dealing with the shock of unexpected news. Much like in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=46655\"><em>The Man Who Could Work Miracles<\/em> (1936)<\/a>, the film holds inherent interest given our curiosity in seeing how an &#8220;average&#8221; person reacts to life-altering information about his existence: what will he do now? <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-1024x640.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-65356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-1024x640.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-1536x961.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness-432x270.png 432w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Last-Holiday-Guinness.png 1639w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Scripted by the prolific British novelist, playwright, screenwriter, producer, broadcaster, and social commentator <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/J._B._Priestley\">J.B. Priestley<\/a>, the storyline goes in unexpected directions while effectively skewering class expectations, and demonstrating the almost inconceivable power that lies in simply knowing the &#8220;right&#8221; people and being in the &#8220;right&#8221; places. Though I&#8217;m not a fan of the film&#8217;s twist ending, that&#8217;s a minor quibble, and the movie overall remains very much worth a look.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ray Elton&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-1024x651.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"407\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-48906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-1024x651.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-128x81.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography-1536x977.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography.png 1627w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A provocative storyline<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-1024x625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-48905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-1024x625.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-768x469.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2-1536x938.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Last-Holiday-Cinematography2.png 1675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an overall good show. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0042665\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/80854\/last-holiday#articles-reviews?articleId=339948\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1950\/11\/14\/archives\/the-screen-in-review-last-holiday-written-by-jb-priestley-stars.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How do you keep smiling with a stiff upper lip?&#8221; Synopsis: When a salesman (Alec Guinness) is told by his doctor (Ronald Simpson) that he has a terminal disease, he decides to spend his last days and money at a posh hotel, where he unintentionally convinces everyone he&#8217;s actually a wealthy, well-bred traveler. He confides his true identity to the head housekeeper (Kay Walsh) while engaging in flirtation with the wife (Beatrice Campbell) of a young criminal (Brian Worth), and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=48899\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48899"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65357,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48899\/revisions\/65357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}