To my chagrin, I know nothing about Director Lawrence Huntington. After watching THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, the keener my regret about my ignorance.
THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, a fine novel by Josephine Tey, is competently, classily and unpretentiously transposed to the silver screen by Huntington and Robert Hall, relying to a considerable extent on a superior performance from the male lead, Michael Denison - about whom, equally regrettably, I know just as little.
That said, Denison and female lead Dulcie Gray were married in real life, and certainly you feel a stable and solid connection between them (their marriage lasted over 60 years).
Very good support performances from the elderly and highly dignified Marjorie Fielding, a very young Kenneth More as a mechanic, the beautiful Hy Hazell as the key witness. The only performance I found wanting was that of Ann Stephens as Betty, the mendacious accuser, but perhaps the fault also lies with her part which, in my view, should have made her motivations more clear.
Excellent cinematography by Günther Krampf and editing by Clifford Boote.
Definitely worth watching - more than once, too! 8/10.
