The Card (1952 film)
The Card is a blackandwhite film version of the novel by Arnold Bennett. Entitled The Promoter for its American audience, it was adapted by Eric Ambler and directed by Ronald Neame. It was released in 1952. It starred Alec Guinness as Denry Machin, Petula Clark as Nellie Cotterill, Valerie Hobson as the Countess, and Glynis Johns as Ruth Earp. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.
The film follows the adventures and misadventures of Edward Henry Denry Machin, an ambitious young man from a poor background.Denry cheats at an examination in order to qualify for entry to a school for the sons of gentlemen. At the age of 16, he becomes a junior clerk to Mr. Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. He meets the charming and socially wellconnected Countess of Chell, a client of Duncalfs, and is given the job of sending out invitations to a grand municipal ball. He invites himself, and wins a fivepound bet that he will dance with the Countess. This earns him the reputation of a card a character, someone able to set tongues wagging a reputation he is determined to cement. But the next day, Duncalf angrily sacks Denry. ........
Source: Wikipedia
