Tony Britton, Sylvia Syms and Geoffrey Keen star in this BAFTA-nominated drama focusing on a man whose life is turned upside down by the far-reaching repercussions of an ill-judged action. The Birthday Present has been shown recently on Talking Pictures

Returning from a business trip, toy salesman Simon Scott is caught attempting to smuggle a wristwatch – bought for his wife’s birthday – through Customs. He is arrested and, due to a bungled defence by his solicitor, obliged to serve a three-month prison sentence. It is only the beginning of his woes; his employer, Colonel Wilson, is understanding, but he is ultimately forced to sack Simon, who discovers that finding another job under such circumstances is extremely difficult. But Colonel Wilson is determined to help his former employee find a solution…

THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT is a very interesting British crime drama of 1957. Tony Britton who seemed to be on Television a lot at that time often in Francis Durbridge serials starred.

Tony Britton had also been in about Ten of the BBC Sunday Night Theatre productions for Television from 1952 and right through the fifties

Not that many years ago we saw him on stage in a tour of ‘And Then There Were None’ the famous Agatha Christie play. A lot of years before this he had played Professor Higgins in the West End in ‘My Fair Lady’

Back to ‘The Birthday Present’ and it is a quite gripping story.

The supporting cast is very good and includes Geoffrey Keen as his sympathetic employer, plus more minor parts for Ian Bannen, Thorley Walters, and Harry Fowler. .