The Laughter of Fools

The Laughter of Fools
Directed byAdrian Brunel
Written byH. F. Maltby (play)
Adrian Brunel
Reginald Beck
Produced byGeorge Smith
StarringD. A. Clarke-Smith
Derrick De Marney
Helen Ferrers
Eliot Makeham
CinematographyEric Cross
Edited byRoy Lockwood
Production
company
George Smith Productions
Distributed byFox
Release date
  • October 1933 (1933-10)
Running time
47 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Laughter of Fools is a 1933 British drama film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring D. A. Clarke-Smith, Derrick De Marney and Helen Ferrers. It was written by Brunel and Reginald Beck based on a play by H. F. Maltby. The screenplay concerns an ambitious mother who plans to marry her daughter to a sea captain.

The film was a quota quickie made at Nettlefold Studios in Walton by the independent producer George Smith as part of a contract from Fox, who needed a supply of films to distribute in order to comply with the terms of the quota.

Preservation status

The British Film Institute National Archive holds no stills or ephemera, and no film or video materials.

Plot

Mrs. Gregg chooses Captain Vidal, a wealthy friend of her son Bertie, as a potential husband for her daughter Mabel. Her matrimonial plans, however, go astray when Vidal instead falls for Doris, her penniless niece. Meanwhile, Mr Gregg buys a house at an auction, leaving Mrs. Gregg and her daughter in the family flat.

Cast

Reception

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Marriage scheme comedy with amusing triangle element. ... Effective acting by Pat Paterson, with adequate support by remainder of cast, and an excellent portrayal by Minnie Taylor as nervous maid. Action is slow at times, but photography and settings are quite adequate."

Picturegoer wrote: "A Cinderella theme in a very slight story with obvious humour and tame romantic qualities. The dialogue is weak and tends to hold up the action and the artistes have rather a thankless task in their respective roles. There is a good deal of charm about Pat Paterson's interpretation of Doris and Eliot Makeham is 'amusing as the shy but likeable Mr. 'Gregg. The supporting characters are not too good and the entertainment generally is well below the average."

References

  1. 1 2 "The Laughter of Fools". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Gifford, Denis (24 October 2018). The British Film Catalogue: The Fiction Film. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-83701-5.
  3. ↑ Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 37. ISBN 978-1844571550.
  4. ↑ Low, Rachael (26 March 2020). The History of British Film (Volume 7): Film Making in 1930's Britain. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-20689-4.
  5. ↑ Murphy, Robert (25 July 2019). Directors in British and Irish Cinema: A Reference Companion. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-83871-532-8.
  6. ↑ "The Laughter of Fools". The Daily Film Renter (2077): 6. 20 October 1933. ProQuest 3304714105.
  7. ↑ "The Laughter of Fools". Picturegoer. 3 (139): 26. 20 January 1934. ProQuest 1771129201.