The Admirable Crichton

1 9 5 7 (UK)

Lord Loam (Cecil Parker) is a peer of one of England' stately homes who takes his three daughters on a yachting cruise with a few friends and some domestic staff. The group are ship-wrecked and marooned on an uncharted desert island and dig themselves in awaiting rescue.

The impeccable butler, Crichton (Kenneth More), is obliged to take complete control because of the inefficiency and inexperience of the other castaways. He now gives the orders rather than receiving them, and establishes himself as benevolent dictator. The eldest of the three daughters, Lady Mary (Sally Ann Howes), falls in love with Crichton, as does the family maidservant Tweeny (Diane Cilento).

The party are eventually rescued and return to England and Crichton reverts to his original role as servant. With a relationship with Lady Mary now an embarrassing social impossibility, Crichton packs his bags and moves away with Tweeny.

Although More lacks the accepted stature of an English butler, his personality makes a more human ad sympathetic figure of the servant who has a firmer sense of snob values than his master.