The Price of Wisdom

The Price of Wisdom
The Price of Wisdom
	Opening titles
Directed by	Reginald Denham
Written by	Lionel Brown (play); George Dewhurst; Basil Mason;
Produced by	Anthony Havelock-Allan
Starring	Mary Jerrold; Roger Livesey; Lilian Oldland;
Cinematography	Henry Harris
Production; company	British and Dominions
Distributed by	Paramount British Pictures
Release date	12 February 1935;
Running time	65 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Price of Wisdom is a 1935 British drama film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Mary Jerrold, Roger Livesey and Lilian Oldland. It was adapted by George Dewhurst and Basil Mason from the play by Lionel Brown, and was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios as a quota quickie for release by the British subsidiary of Paramount Pictures.

Synopsis

Country girl Mary Newland moves to London to work and finds herself in a complicated situation involving her employer and one of his inventive young employees, whom she champions.

Cast

Mary Jerrold as Mary Temple
Roger Livesey as Peter North
Lilian Oldland as Jean Temple
Robert Rendel as Alfred Blake
Eric Cowley as Colonel Layton
Ann Codrington as Miss Stokes
Ivor Barnard as Pollit
Cicely Oates as Bonny

Reception

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "Comedy of misfortunes arising from injudicious mixing of love and business. ... Farcical climatic situation yields fair amusement. Spirited portrayal of downright modern girl from Mary Newland. Usable second feature. Although there is too much dialogue, the picture has the compensating merit of few digressions."

Picture Show wrote: "There is too much talk and too little action in this romance of a country girl who goes to London, and her adventures with a business magnate and his son. It is, nevertheless, unpretentiously pleasant, with some touches of comedy. Mary Newland and Roger Livesey are the young couple whose happiness is menaced by the magnate, and Mary Jerrold is engaging as the girl's mother."

References

↑ "The Price of Wisdom". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
↑ Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.
↑ Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 280. ISBN 978-1844571550.
↑ "The Price of Wisdom". The Daily Film Renter (2478): 7. 13 February 1935. ProQuest 2826329052.
↑ "The Price of Wisdom". Picture Show. 33 (852): 19. 31 August 1935. ProQuest 1880294931.

External links

The Price of Wisdom at IMDb

[BFIsearch-1] "The Price of Wisdom". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 26 July 2026.

[2] Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.

[3] Chibnall, Steve (2007). Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute. p. 280. ISBN 978-1844571550.

[4] "The Price of Wisdom". The Daily Film Renter (2478): 7. 13 February 1935. ProQuest 2826329052.

[5] "The Price of Wisdom". Picture Show. 33 (852): 19. 31 August 1935. ProQuest 1880294931.