Huggett Family Collection

Jack Warner

Kathleen Harrison

Jane Hylton

Susan Shaw

Petula Clark

Jimmy Hanley

David Tomlinson

Diana Dors

Peter Hammond

John Blythe

Amy Veness

Clive Morton

Maurice Denham

Doris Hare

Esma Cannon

Alison Leggatt

Dandy Nichols

Hal Osmond

Peter Scott

Keith Shepherd

Edmundo Ros

Dennis Harkin

Cyril Chamberlain

Norman G. Arnold

Muriel Box

Mabel Constanduros

Antony Hopkins

Ken Annakin

Betty E. Box

Gordon Hales

Denis Constanduros

Sydney Box

Reginald H. Wyer

Peter Rogers

Comedy

Drama

Here Come the Huggetts

Gainsborough Pictures

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

OK, so it's maybe a bit on the long side this film, but I always enjoyed the on-screen dynamic between Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison as "Joe" and "Ethel" as they take us through some fairly monumental family moments in the lives of their family. Though it wasn't in 1948, I do remember when we first got a telephone and yes - it was quite an event and equally, yes, my dad could never get near the thing. All "Joe" wants is to arrange a peaceful pint and a game of snooker! The UK is recovering from the travails of WWII and with HRH The Princess Elizabeth about to marry her dashing naval officer, the family quickly move on from the excitement of their new gadget to planning how and where they are going to see the procession. Their invitations to the abbey clearly lost in the post. Then there's a fire at the adjacent factory - poor old "Joe" can't even get a decent night's sleep... Oh yes, and underpinning this whole series of minor catastrophes is "Diana" (Diana Dors) who is the niece of "Ethel" and who has come to stay for a few days whilst her mother "Edie" (Dandy Nichols) is under the knife. Turns out she's a bit of a selfish lass who does nobody any favours, least of all her uncle when he rather foolishly gets her a job at his factory. Daughters "Jane" (Jane Hylton), "Susan" (Susan Shaw) and "Pet" (Petula Clark) are all having, to varying degrees, man trouble and by the end of this engaging story of ordinary Brits, their trauma around the telephone proves the least of their worries. It does run out of steam a bit towards the end, but there's still plenty of light-heartedness, grumbling, panic and entertaining dialogue to keep this observation of a lifestyle long since passed well worth a gander.

English