The Man in the White Suit
DVD cover of The Man in the White Suit
Directed by	Alexander Mackendrick
Produced by	Michael Balcon
Written by	John Dighton Roger MacDougall Alexander Mackendrick
Starring	Alec Guinness Joan Greenwood Cecil Parker
Music by	Benjamin Frankel
Cinematography	Douglas Slocombe
Editing by	Bernard Gribble
Release date(s)	1951
Running time	85 mins
Language	English

The Man in the White Suit is a satirical comedy movie made in 1951 by Ealing Studios. It starred Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker, and was directed by Alexander Mackendrick. It followed a common Ealing Studios theme of the "common man" against the Establishment. In this instance the hero falls foul of both trade unions and the wealthy mill owners who attempt to suppress his invention. Image File history File links Man_in_the_white_suit. ... Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 - December 22, 1993) was a Scottish-American film director. ... Sir Michael Balcon (19 May 1896–17 October 1977) was a British film producer, best known for his work with the Ealing Studios. ... John Dighton (1909 - 1989), was a successful British playwright and screenwriter. ... Playwright Roger MacDougall (1910 - 1993) began writing the occasional screenplay in the late 30s, working both alone and in collaboration with others. ... Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 - December 22, 1993) was a Scottish-American film director. ... Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (April 2, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an Oscar-winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation. ... Joan Greenwood (March 4, 1921 - February 27, 1987) was a British actress who was born in Chelsea and studied at RADA. Her husky voice was her trademark, and in 1995 she was #63 on Empire magazines list of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history. ... Cecil Parker (1897–1971) was a British character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1933 and 1969. ... Benjamin Frankel (January 31, 1906 – February 12, 1973) was a British composer. ... Douglas Slocombe is a British cinematographer who has enjoyed a long career in the British film industry. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The World According To Ronald Reagan, a satirical map by Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist David Horsey Satire is a technique used in drama and the performing arts, fiction, journalism, and occasionally in poetry and the graphic arts. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Ealing Studios, a TV and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London, claims to be the oldest film studio in the world. ... Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (April 2, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an Oscar-winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation. ... Joan Greenwood (March 4, 1921 - February 27, 1987) was a British actress who was born in Chelsea and studied at RADA. Her husky voice was her trademark, and in 1995 she was #63 on Empire magazines list of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history. ... Cecil Parker (1897–1971) was a British character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1933 and 1969. ... Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 - December 22, 1993) was a Scottish-American film director. ... The Establishment is a slang term (chiefly in British and Commonwealth English) for a traditional conservative ruling class and its institutions. ...

Plot

Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, a brilliant and obsessed young researcher working in a textile mill. He invents an incredibly strong fibre which repels dirt and never wears out. From its fabric he makes a suit which is brilliant white because it cannot absorb dye, and slightly luminous because it includes radioactive elements. Stratton is lauded as a genius until both management and the trade union realise the consequence of his invention - once consumers have purchased enough cloth, demand will drop precipitously and put the textile industry out of business. The managers try to trick Stratton into signing away the rights to his invention but he refuses. Managers and workers each try to shut him away, but he escapes.

The climax sees Stratton running through the streets at night in his glowing white suit, pursued by both the managers and the employees. As the crowd advances, his suit begins breaking apart as the chemical structure of the fibre breaks apart with time. The mob, realizing that his yarn has a flaw, rips pieces off his suit in triumph, until he is left standing in his underwear. The next day, Stratton is dismissed from his job. Departing, he consults his chemistry notes. A realization hits, and he exclaims "I see!" and strides off to perhaps try again.

External links

• The Man in the White Suit at the Internet Movie Database