The Green Man. Harry Hawkins (Alastair Sim)
The Green Man

The Green Man

  • 1956 film

A hapless vacuum cleaner salesman stumbles upon a professional hitman's plot to kill a leading public figure. Stars Alastair Sim, George Cole, Terry-Thomas, Jill Adams, Raymond Huntley and more.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 5,866
The Green Man. Image shows from L to R: William Blake (George Cole), Harry Hawkins (Alastair Sim)

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1956
Stars
Alastair Sim, George Cole, Terry-Thomas, Jill Adams, Raymond Huntley, Colin Gordon, Avril Angers, John Chandos and more
Writers
Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder
Director
Robert Day
Producers
Frank Launder, Sidney Gilliat and Leslie Gilliat
Company

Harry Hawkins is a mild-mannered watchmaker by day - but in reality the majority of his income comes from his longer-term work as a professional hitman for hire.

Specialising in bumping off those bloated and important figures - ambassadors, dictators, industrialists and the like - his latest client is a Middle Eastern group who wish Sir Gregory Upshott to be dispatched with before he can visit the region.

After inveigling his way into the affections of Upshott's middle-aged spinster secretary, the plan is arranged: but he had not bargained on a stray sheet of carbon paper arousing her suspicions and causing a visit to Hawkins's home address.

A further mix-up between his cleaner, a vacuum cleaner salesman named William Blake, and the newly-sold property next-door, leads to Blake and the house's new owner, Ann, seeing something they really shouldn't. Piecing two and two together, the pair eventually - and only just - make four, and head hot on the trail of Hawkins and Sir Gregory.

Events build up to a head at a small coastal hotel called The Green Man. With a grumpy hotelier, various couples conducting elicit rendezvous, and a trio of incompetent elderly musicians thrown into the mix, Ann and Blake's frantic search for Sir Gregory gets under way.

Stream and download

Additional details

UK certificate
A
Duration
80 minutes
Distributors

British Lion

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Black and white

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Wednesday 13th March 2024 at 11:00am on Film4
  • Friday 8th March 2024 at 1:25pm on Film4
  • Friday 20th October 2023 at 3:25pm on Film4

Recording details

  • Shepperton Studios