Mr Polly Views
Alfred Polly (John Mills) is a day-dreamer with his nose in books rather than keeping his mind on his work. Following his dismissal from a draper's shop, he finds it hard to find another position. When a telegram arrives informing him his father is gravely ill, he returns to the family home. With a bequeath of £500, Polly starts to think about what he should now do with his life, and a friend of his father's, Mr Johnsen (Edward Chapman), urges him to invest it in a shop.
A film version of the same name was made in 1949 by Anthony Pellisier, with John Mills as Polly. It was adapted by the BBC as a six-part television serial shown between 28 August and 10 October 1959, with Emrys Jones as Polly, and again as a five-part adaptation starring Andrew Sachs, shown between 2 and 30 March 1980. The 1960 version no longer exists.[2] A feature-length version, starring Lee Evans was shown on ITV1 in May 2007.
H. G. Wells' non-fantasy efforts have, with the exception of Kipps, proven traditionally difficult to transfer to film. History of Mr. Polly occasionally suffers from too-close fidelity to its Wellsian source; one wishes that adaptor/director Anthony Pelissier could have opened up the story a bit more. Still, the film is impeccably cast: particularly good is John Mills as Alfred Polly, whose efforts to make a go in the business world continually come acropper. A humble draper's clerk, Polly is profoundly affected by a variety of personal relationships, most notably with colorful Uncle Jim (Finlay Currie) and his nagging wife Miriam (Betty Ann Davies). Ultimately, he finds happiness in an even humbler pursuit than the drapery business. Star John Mills' daughter Juliet shows up in a very minor role.
Alfred Polly (John Mills) is a day-dreamer with his nose in books rather than keeping his mind on his work. Following his dismissal from a draper's shop, he finds it hard to find another position. When a telegram arrives informing him his father is gravely ill, he returns to the family home. With a bequeath of £500, Polly starts to think about what he should now do with his life, and a friend of his father's, Mr Johnsen (Edward Chapman), urges him to invest it in a shop.
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