A Canterbury Tale (1944)
-
78% of users liked it
(2,185 ratings)
Set not in the 14th century milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer but in wartime Britain, A Canterbury Tale begins with rural justice of the peace Eric Portman adopting a "lock up your daughters" policy when the American soldiers are stationed nearby. To escape the arbitrary edicts of Portman,… More Set not in the 14th century milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer but in wartime Britain, A Canterbury Tale begins with rural justice of the peace Eric Portman adopting a "lock up your daughters" policy when the American soldiers are stationed nearby. To escape the arbitrary edicts of Portman, British tank sergeant Dennis Price, American GI John Sweet and shopkeeper Sheila Sim head down the road to Canterbury. Each of the principals finds their lives changed by the journey. In particular, Sweet (a real-life American sergeant, rather than the usual stereotyped "yank" common to British war films) encounters genuine romance. A product of the always adventuresome "Archers" (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger), A Canterbury Tale contains some extremely creative cinematic moments, though it is the quieter scenes which work best. Esmond Knight narrates the film and shows up in a couple of amusing cameos. A ubiquitous presence on American TV, Canterbury Tale is available in two versions; the American release version, cut from 124 to 95 minutes and including several arbitrary scenes with Kim Hunter, is the lesser of the two. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
- Written By
- Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
- Genres
- Drama, Classics, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jan 21, 1949 Wide
Critic Reviews
-
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's oddly soothing and exciting to just bask in the film's images and listen to its stories and ideas.
-
James Plath, Reel.com
Part wartime propaganda, part Capra corn, part film noir mystery, and part art house film.
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A simple but wonderfully bizarre way to tell Chaucer's A Canterbury Tale in modern terms.
-
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
gorgeous and soulful
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Eric Portman
as Thomas Colpepper J.P.
-
Sheila Sim
as Alison Smith
-
Dennis Price
as Sgt. Peter Gibbs
-
Sgt. John Sweet
as Bob Johnson
-
Charles Hawtrey
as Thomas Duckett
-
Freda Jackson
as Prudence Honeywood
-
Hay Petrie
as Woodcock
-
George Merritt
as Ned Horton
-
Edward Rigby
as Jim Horton
-
Betty Jardine
as Fee Baker
-
Joss Ambler
as Police Inspector
-
Esma Cannon
as Agnes
-
Beresford Egan
as P.C. Ovenden
-
Judith Furse
as Dorothy Bird
-
Harvey Golden
as Sgt. Roczinsky
-
Michael Golden
as Sergeant Smale
-
Anthony Holles
as Sergeant Bassett
-
Michael Howard
as Archie
-
Kim Hunter
as Johnson's Girl
-
Esmond Knight
as Narrator/ Seven-Sisters Soldier/ Village...
-
Eliot Makeham
as Organist
-
Eric Maturin
as Geoffrey's Father
-
Jane Millican
as Susanna Foster
-
Graham Moffatt
as Sergeant Stuffy
-
Charles Paton
as Ernie Brooks
-
Jeanne Shepherd
as Gladys Swinton
-
John Slater
as Sergeant Len
-
James Tamsitt
as Terry
-
David Todd Ocvirk
as David
-
Barbara Waring
as Polly Finn
-
H.F. Maltby
as Mr. Portal
-
Leonard M. Smith
as Leslie
-
Margaret Scudamore
as Mrs. Colpeper
- Sergeant John Sweet