The Man In The White Suit. Image shows from L to R: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness), Daphne Birnley (Joan Greenwood). Copyright: Ealing Studios
The Man In The White Suit

The Man In The White Suit

  • 1951 film

Classic Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness. Sidney Stratton invents a fibre that never gets dirty and never wears out, but it causes him problems. Also features Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger, Vida Hope and more.

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The Man In The White Suit

Based on the play by Roger MacDougall, Alexander Mackendrick's The Man In The White Suit is the director's second film, a winning comedy about the battles between labour, capitalists, and scientific dreamers.

Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) works quietly at the textile mill of Michael Corland (Michael Gough) amid the wonderful gurgle, fizz and plop of his equipment, until his mysterious, costly lab experiments are discovered. Fired by Corland, Stratton takes a menial job at Alan Birnley's (Cecil Parker) mill in order to continue his work on the sly. When Daphne (Joan Greenwood), Corland's fiancee and Birnley's daughter, discovers his secret, she threatens to expose Stratton.

The desperate scientist reveals to Daphne that he has invented an indestructible cloth that never gets dirty and never wears out! Close to realising his vision, Stratton celebrates by having a suit made of the fabric, and because it repels dye it is a brilliant gleaming white. When the unions and management find out, fearing for the future of their industry, the chase is on to keep Stratton quiet, one way or another. But there's flaw in his fabric formula...

First released: Monday 13th November 2006

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