The Demi-Paradise

The Demi-Paradise
Danish theatrical poster
Directed by	Anthony Asquith
Produced by	Filippo Del Giudice Anatole de Grunwald
Written by	Anatole de Grunwald
Starring	Laurence Olivier Margaret Rutherford
Music by	Nicholas Brodszky
Cinematography	Bernard Knowles
Distributed by	Two Cities Films
Release dates	20 December 1943 (UK)
Running time	114 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Demi-Paradise (also known as Adventure for Two) is a 1943 British^[1] comedy film made by Two Cities Films. It stars Laurence Olivier as a Soviet Russian inventor who travels to England to have his revolutionary propeller manufactured, and Penelope Dudley-Ward as the woman who falls in love with him. It was directed by Anthony Asquith and produced by Anatole de Grunwald and Filippo Del Giudice from a screenplay by de Grunwald. The music score was by Nicholas Brodszky and the cinematography by Bernard Knowles.

The film is a gentle satire on the values the English hold so dear. It was designed to encourage sympathy between Britain and the Soviet Union. The film's title is a reference to John of Gaunt's famous speech in Richard II which begins:

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise

Plot Summary

A Russian inventor by the name Ivan Kouznetsoff travels to England to introduce the British shipping industry to his newly invented and improved propeller blade. When he is in England Kouznetsoff meets the socialite woman Anne Tisdall, and falls head over heels for her. Meeting Anne and hearing her views turn his own previous views and conceptions about the capitalist system and its degenerates up side down. After a lovers' quarrel, Ivan heads back to Russian only to be recalled to England a year later to smooth out imperfections in his design. Despite his efforts, his modifications prove to be unsound and he seems destined to return to the Soviet Union in disgrace.

The subject of affection, Anne, convinces the local shipbuilders to work around the clock in order to realize the revolutionary propeller. Soon they solve the problem, and there is a very successful launch of the new line of propelled ships. Ivan can return to the Soviet Union to aid the war effort, enriched by Anne's love.^[2]

Cast

Laurence Olivier as Ivan Kouznetsoff
Penelope Dudley-Ward as Ann (as Penelope Ward)
Marjorie Fielding as Mrs. Tisdall
Margaret Rutherford as Rowena Ventnor
Felix Aylmer as Mr. Runalow, a noted expert in naval engineering, head of the firm Kouznetsoff deals with, and Ann's grandfather
George Thorpe as Herbert Tisdall
Leslie Henson as Himself
Guy Middleton as Dick Christian
Michael Shepley as Mr. Walford
Edie Martin as Miss Winifred Tisdall
Muriel Aked as Mrs. Tisdall-Stanton
Joyce Grenfell as Sybil Paulson
Everley Gregg as Mrs. Flannel
Jack Watling as Tom
David Keir as Jordan
Aubrey Mallalieu as Toomes
Beatrice Harrison as herself

Miles Malleson, John Laurie, George Cole, and Wilfrid Hyde-White had minor roles.

External links

The Demi-Paradise at the Internet Movie Database

References

The films of Anthony Asquith

Feature films

Silent films	Shooting Stars (1927) Underground (1928) The Runaway Princess (1929) A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929)

Sound films	Tell England (1931) The Lucky Number (1932) Dance Pretty Lady (1932) Unfinished Symphony (1934) Moscow Nights (1935) Pygmalion (1938) French Without Tears (1940) Freedom Radio (1941) Quiet Wedding (1941) Cottage to Let (1941) Uncensored (1942) We Dive at Dawn (1943) The Demi-Paradise (1943) Fanny by Gaslight (1944) The Way to the Stars (1945) While the Sun Shines (1947) The Winslow Boy (1948) The Woman in Question (1950) The Browning Version (1951) The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) The Final Test (1953) The Net (1953) The Young Lovers (1954) Carrington V.C. (1955) Orders to Kill (1958) The Doctor's Dilemma (1958) Libel (1959) The Millionairess (1960) Two Living, One Dead (1961) Guns of Darkness (1962) The V.I.P.s (movie) (1963) The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)

Short films

The Story of Papworth (1936)
Channel Incident (1940)
Rush Hour (1941)
Two Fathers (1944)
On Such a Night (1956)

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