This charming film in stunning Technicolor – was shown on Talking Pictures yesterday. My wife latched on to it by chance and really enjoyed it. Made by Ealing Studios and released in 1954 it starred Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Edward Underdown, Wilfrid Hyde-Whyte, Bill Owen, Sid James and many more – almost a Who’s Who of British character actors of the day.
The Rainbow Jacket – Above – Robert Morley, Edward Underdown and Bernard Lee in his pre ‘M’ days but an uncredited role here.
Also un-credited roles for Katie Johnson ( The Lady Killers’) , Glyn Houston, and top jockey of the day Gordon Richards
The Rainbow Jacket
When disgraced jockey Sam ( Bill Owen) meets young jockey Georgie Crain (Fella Edmonds), he convinces Georgie’s mother, Barbara ( Kay Walsh) to let him train the lad. After seeing Georgie control a wayward horse, Lord Logan (Robert Morley) gives him a job at his Newmarket stables, where Georgie works under trainer Geoffrey Tyler (Edward Underdown) and the sadistic but good-humoured stables boss Tommy Adams (Herbert C. Walton). A natural jockey, Georgie’s meteoric rise and success helps brings Sam and Barbara together – but Sam’s shady past (fixing and betting on races) comes back to haunt them. Despite temporarily regaining his jockey licence, Sam sacrifices his career to save Georgie’s and plans a normal life with Barbara as a family.
The Rainbow Jacket – Here Fella Edmunds listens to advice from Bill Owen.
Fella Edmonds did not have a long or prolific career in films. He was born in 1940 so was a young teenager here – and in most of his films.
One of the later ones was ‘The Stolen Airliner’ which sounds exciting – it was a Children’s Film Foundation production – but after that I know very little about it or him for that matter.
The Rainbow Jacket – These Front of House film stills do not show the lovely Technicolor of the film – these may have faded over the years
The Rainbow Jacket – Above Robert Morley, Kay Walsh and Edward Underdown enjoy the excitement
The stunning Technicolor photography was perfect for such places as Newmarket and Lingfield Park
Newmarket – ABOVE. A scene from the film of the High Street in Newmarket – I just love the Standard Vanguard parked there as I used to part own one of these with my brother a lot of years ago.
Lingfield Park – ABOVE
Was used in the film as was Doncaster and Epsom Downs
Lingfield Park – ABOVE
I always thought Fella was an odd name for a boy. I don’t think that’s Bernard Lee on the right on the first still. It looks more like Gordon Harker.
Another British classic that’s been shown recently on Talking Pictures TV is THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER, released in 1949 and starring Valerie Hobson; John Howard Davies and John Mills. I think you ought to feature that. You’ll find my review of it on the film’s page on amazon uk.
David. Did you watch the film on Sunday on Talking Pictures ? Very good. It is not a film I knew at all despite its array of actors. However I do know The Rocking Horse Winner very well and I think I have featured it on here in the past. I will read your review though anyway. There was much about The Rainbow Jacket that reminded me of Come On George – The much earlier and very successful George Formby film. That one was directed at a fast pace and the climatic race sequence was very well done. The Technicolor on The Racing Jacket was wonderful. Neil
Yes, Neil, I always watch THE RAINBOW JACKET when it’s on because it’s such a good film and the colour is far more striking than in modern films.
The person in the first still is the excellent character actor Charles Victor