The Chiltern Hundreds (film)

The Chiltern Hundreds (also known under the title The Amazing Mr. Beecham) is a 1949 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, adapting William Douglas Home's 1947 play of the same name and starring Lana Morris, David Tomlinson and Cecil Parker.

Synopsis

Viscount Pym (David Tomlinson) - whilst on National Service - gets leave from the British Army on the pretext of standing for Parliament as a Conservative Party candidate in his home constituency, held by his family for generations. The request is a ruse to enable Pym to marry his wealthy American fiancée June Farrell (Helen Backlin) while she's still in England and before she has to return home to America. His master plan backfires when he finds himself swept into the election campaign and beaten by the more politically experienced Mr Cleghorn (Tom Macaulay), the Labour Party candidate.

After losing the election, his family take the news calmly, but his fiancée is mortified, and he must now devise a plan to win her back. When Cleghorn is made a Peer, Viscount Pym stands again for the newly vacant seat, however this time he fights the campaign as a Socialist candidate but is beaten once again, this time by the family butler Beecham (Cecil Parker) - a steadfast Conservative.

Cast

• Cecil Parker as Beecham (the butler)
• A. E. Matthews as Earl of Lister
• David Tomlinson as Tony, Viscount Pym
• Lana Morris as Bessie Sykes (the maid)
• Marjorie Fielding as The Countess of Lister
• Tom Macaulay as Cleghorn
• Joyce Carey as Lady Caroline (Lord Lister's sister)
• Helen Backlin as June Farrell
• Gerald Anderson as Mr. Brown
• Michael Brennan as Sergeant
• Robert Cawdron as Sergeant
• Cyril Chamberlain as Sentry
• Peggy Ann Clifford as Mother
• Charles Cullum as Colonel
• Richard Dunn as Labour agent
• Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Fielding
• Bill Shine as Reporter
• Anthony Steel as Adjutant
• Dervis Ward as Driver

Production

The film was made for ₤109,000.