The Man in the White Suit

There are some actors I'll watch just about anything they're in on name recognition alone. One of the few is Alec Guinness, an acting chameleon if there ever was one. He makes a movie better just by being there, and that's why I dove into 1951's The Man in the White Suit, a British comedy I'd never heard of with a story that certainly didn't jump off the page at me.

Having worked in clothing and textile manufacturing for several years and moving from one job to another, quiet research assistant Sidney Stratton (Guinness) has his goals set as high as possible. He is currently working for the Birnley Mill, owned by gentlemanly Alan Birnley (Cecil Parker), and Sidney is getting close to a breakthrough. His ultimate goal? He wants to create a fabric that is indestructible, unable to be tarnished by dirt, grime and filth. Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? When Birnley finds out what his young technician is up to, he gives him all the support he can, and finally Sidney is able to put all his experimentation and hard work into a final product, an immaculate white suit that will never fall apart. Both the technician and the mill owner are beyond pleased, but will the rest of the industry? Not so fast.

You know what's not interesting to watch? The making of clothes. That's it. Simple as that, my biggest problem with the movie. Juvenile? Maybe, but I struggled at times to get through this Ealing Studios comedy from director Alexander Mackendrick. Some of my struggles came from the pacing, something you wouldn't think to be an issue in a movie that runs just 85 minutes. Early on, I couldn't get into the movie, its story or its characters. Those issues early come from that focus on the textile aspect, taking a little too much time to get things going. The comedy is more satirical, leaning toward downright smart, but other than a few exceptions, I didn't laugh much. It's drama, it's comedy (rather dark), and I never felt truly connected to the developing story.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Guinness is the best thing going for 'White.' Still a rising star (he made The Lavender Hill Mob the same year), he again shows a knack for making a quirky character pretty likable. His intentions are pure in creating a perfect fabric that no damage can be done to. He doesn't want any money, riches or fame for his invention. His Sidney wants to do something pure. It's the little mannerisms that Guinness brings to the part that help make the character memorable. It's the twinkle in his eye when he's stumbled onto something. It's his quick walk-run when he's trying to get something done. It's his panicked cries when someone tries to stop him from doing something. The little things go a long way, a credit to Guinness' ability as an actor. In a weird way, his Sidney reminds me of his Bridge on the River Kwai character, blinded by what he does with really seeing the repercussions of his actions.

Beyond Alec Guinness though, I didn't find much of the rest of the cast leaving a lasting impression. Parker is decent as Birnley, the mill owner who backs Sidney....until he doesn't back him when the powers that be turn on him. Joan Greenwood plays Birnley's daughter, Daphne, who meets Sidney early on his experimenting and becomes his close friend as he draws closer to his final product. Michael Gough plays Michael Corland, a rival of Sidney's and superior within the textile industry who was also previously engaged to Daphne. Ernest Thesiger is creepy as Sir John Kierlaw, the powerful head and face of the textile industry who sees the danger that Sidney's new fabric presents. I don't recognize much of the rest of the cast, and I simply didn't hear any other character names as they back up Sidney.

There were parts of this movie I really liked. I loved Sidney and his assistant, Wilson (John Rudling), forting up in the laboratory -- sandbags, air raid helmets and all -- trying to perfect his formula. I loved the sound effect his expansive, elaborate apparatus makes (a combination of tuba and bassoon). Watching Sidney defend his invention is surprisingly funny too. His immaculate white suit doesn't take any dyes and featuring some radioactive elements stands out like a sore thumb just about anywhere he goes to the point it looks like a glow-in-the-dark suit. When anyone and everyone starts chasing him to get him -- and his rights -- under contract, it results in an oddly funny madcap series of chases. Sidney becomes obsessed with defending his invention, even though everyone around him tries to convince him otherwise.

In that sense, I thought 'White' becomes a little predictable. Is a company (any company for that matter) going to allow a suit to be made that is indestructible? How did Birnley not think this through? If people only need to buy one suit, that means the clothing companies will eventually go out of business. In the end, both the manufacturers and the factory workers turn on Sidney, both sides seeing their future wiped away in a second. It just seemed dumb and far too obvious, a necessary twist but not a well-written one. At least Sidney is blinded by it and refuses to even think about it. There is a surprisingly dark scene late with a twist as to the fabric, but I did appreciate the final scene throwing a bone and ending on a positive note. A mixed bag in the end, mostly worthwhile for Alec Guinness.

The Man in the White Suit (1951): ** 1/2 /****