| Mrs. Gibbons' Boys | |
| Director: | Max Varnel |
| Producer: | Henry Halstead |
| Music: | Dave Shand |
| Cinematography: | Stanley Pavey (as Stan Pavey) |
| Editing: | Helen Wiggins |
| Studio: | Henry Halstead Productions (as Byron) |
| Distributor: | British Lion Film Corporation (UK) |
| Runtime: | 82 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
Mrs. Gibbons' Boys is a black and white 1962 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kathleen Harrison, Lionel Jeffries and Diana Dors.[1] It is based on the play of the same name by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, and was released in the UK as the bottom half of a double bill with Constantine and the Cross (1961).[2]
An ageing widow finally finds new love and happiness; but matters are complicated when her two convict sons escape from prison and beg her to hide them.
Diana Dors was living in Los Angeles but returned to England to make the film.[3]
Monthly Film Bulletin said "This unhappy farce about the doting mother of three revolting thugs is redeemed from utter banality by a few slick lines (mostly spoken by Diana Dors as Mrs. Gibbons' hairdresser cousin, a "straight bird" with a purely decorative function in the film), a few scenes (such as poor, sad Lionel Jeffries purchasing some chocolates for his intended) that are not sadistically slapstick, and a valiant supporting cast. How admirably shopkeeper Eric Pohlmann falls for ever amid the ruins of his merchandise! The pace is fast enough to hold real boredom at bay, but the production is wholly unimaginative and the settings, especially Mrs. Gibbons' stagey parlour replete with doors, both dreary and repetitive."[4]
Leslie Halliwell said: "Unattractive farce with clodhopping characters and too much slapstick."[5]