Man of the Moment

Synopsis: Civil Servant Norman becomes the favourite of the rulers of a South Seas island that the British have an interest in.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Year:
1955
85 min
44 Views


# He is the man of the moment,

the man of today

# Yes, he's the man of the moment,

I'm happy to say

# But he's not here for the moment,

a man on his way

# Just a man of the moment for today

# He's no friend in fair weather,

enjoying the sun

# He'll quickly vanish forever

if a dark cloud should come

# The man of the moment

that I've waited for

# Will be my man

of the moment evermore

# Evermore, evermore

# He's not the kind to love 'em

and to leave 'em

# Evermore, evermore

# When he whispers loving words,

you can believe 'em

# He's no friend in fair weather,

enjoying the sun

# He'll quickly vanish forever

if a dark cloud should come

# The man of the moment

that I've waited for

# Will be my man

of the moment evermore #

All right. I'll see they all know.

Right. Goodbye.

- Morning, Florrie. Mr Vavistock.

- Morning, Norman.

Hey! Fancy the guv being late!

He's not coming in. He's got the flu.

What a time to pick,

with Tidmarsh on leave.

- Looks like you'll be in charge today!

- Yeah.

Yeah! Acting chief filing clerk! Me!

- Mrs Burton, that'll be all, thank you.

- Oh!

Well, don't stand there, woman.

Go on, run along.

Florrie...

You fell for that one, didn't you?

Oh, Norman!

I thought for a minute you were serious!

Oh, dear.

Morning, Sonia.

You and your film star.

- I saw her last night.

- You never!

- I did.

- In the flesh?

- No, in the pictures.

- Ah.

She weren't half smashing.

I saw it round twice.

If it isn't too inconvenient,

would you kindly get out the files

on Persian mineral deposits,

eastern substrata and pipeline personal?

Yes, sir. Acting chief filing clerk.

Persian mineral deposits,

eastern substrata, pipeline personal.

A, J, K.

Sorry to be so long, sir.

Tea up.

Well then, gentlemen,

you will be wondering about

the renewed interest in Tawaki.

Recent developments in the Pacific

have highlighted it

as a possible base of great importance.

One of the islands is uninhabited.

It has an excellent anchorage,

sheltered by an extinct volcano.

Many other countries have been in touch

with the Queen of Tawaki,

who is undecided whether to accept

or refuse their offers.

Gentlemen, your job

at the Geneva Conference

will be to get a decision in our favour.

- Is that clear?

- Yes, sir.

Very well. Jackson, get any files

you have on Tawaki sent up.

Right away, sir.

Filing room? Oh, Vavistock.

Away? Then Tidmarsh.

Away too? Then who am I talking to?

Norman? Very well, Norman.

Send up any files you have on Tawaki.

With the utmost celerity, sir.

If that's that the Tawaki file, hurry up.

Mr Jackson's waiting.

Norman? Here a minute.

- Are you going in there?

- Yeah.

Take the tea trolley for me, will you?

It's my tea break.

Isn't it marvellous?

I cannot overstress the importance

our government places

upon this conference at Geneva.

I had a chat with the PM only yesterday.

- And he said...

- Tea up!

Well, bring it in, boy!

(Trolley squeaking)

(Shouting) As I was saying,

I had a chat with the PM yesterday

and he said...

- As I was saying...

- (Clunking)

..I had a chat with the PM and he said...

- (Squeaking)

- .."Horace..."

- Why do you have this?

- I brought it...

- Never mind. Serve the tea.

- I'm not the tea boy!

- I'm the acting chief...

- Shh!

- Oh.

- Let's get down to details.

One thing, Jackson. How many members

do you envisage in the delegation?

- Five.

- How many?

Five.

I'm sorry. I mean eight.

I beg your pardon, but this says

there are six delegates.

My mistake. Six.

I wish you'd make up your mind.

They've melted now.

Is there anything of value on the island?

- Milk?

- No. No milk. Maybe a little oil.

Ain't it marvellous?

I'm not clear about this island's position

in relation to the mainland.

It's all quite clear on the map here.

Let me show you. Now, er...let me see.

- Where do you want it, sir?

- Just there.

- Take that away.

- You said...

Take it away!

Am I right in saying just there?

No, not there. There.

Will you take that away?

Oh, have a cake.

- Are there any rocks?

- Only one. Who's going to have it?

Will you get out?

There'll be six travelling.

Shall I lay on the transport?

- I take it we're going by air.

- Coming down.

I think we've covered everything now.

Take a filing clerk with you, Jackson.

Yes, sir. I'll see to that right away.

Oh! Where's that wretched tea boy?

Who wants me?

- Who did that?

- Get out!

Get out!

If you spent less time studying

movie stars and more on your job...

- Where's Mr Vavistock?

- Flu.

- Where to?

- No, sir, he's got flu.

- Where's his deputy?

- On leave.

- Where's his deputy?

- That's me.

- Good. Got a passport?

- No, sir.

Get one. Got any passport photos?

You'll need two.

I've got this one, sir.

That's me in the football team.

See if you can find me.

- Go on. Pick me out.

- No, that won't do.

Haven't you got one by yourself?

I've got this one. There you are.

It's not my body, of course.

You'd better get some done. File these.

That's all I've got.

Except one from when I was a baby.

- What are you doing up there?

- Putting these away.

Go and get your passport photos taken.

- What do I want photos for?

- You're going away tomorrow.

- Me? Where?

- Geneva.

Geneva? Me? Aargh! Aargh! Hey!

Hey!

- (Knocking)

- Come in.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- It's a lovely day.

- Perfectly glorious.

- The sun's shining and...

- Can you take a passport photograph?

- Yes, of course. Do sit down.

- Thank you.

- (Hissing)

- Oh!

Well, get off it, then!

Oh! Ho! Thank you.

Quite still, please.

- Ready?

- Oh! Ha, not me. Him.

No smiling, please.

I'm not. I've got a light

stuck right in me face.

Unfortunately, we have got to see you.

I cannot take you smiling. A passport

photograph must not look pleasant.

- And please remove your hat.

- I don't want to take me hat off!

Oh...

Would you like to go somewhere else?

- You can't. The Ministry sent him here.

- You know where you can go.

Come out of it. I'll show you.

Ah. Very good. Very good indeed.

Now...

No smiling, please.

Control yourself, please!

I can't help it! The more you stop me,

the more I seem to can't help it!

Pull yourself together!

I've got it... Oh, it's going!

Go on! Go on.

Now, force yourself. Go on.

That's it. Go on.

Control yourself!

Come on, then. Go on, take me.

Take me! You're too late!

You missed it again!

Here, look. I'll put this...

I'll put this over me face.

Go!

It's no good!

Leave me alone.

You go look at your camera.

- Where you been?

- Leave my studio immediately!

- I shall sue you for this.

- Really?

Oh! Oh... (Mumbling)

Got it.

- Now, are we all here, Mitchell?

- Everybody except the filing clerk.

Filing clerk not here? What a nuisance.

Never mind. He'll have to follow on later.

I think it's this way.

What in heaven's name...?

Oh, no! Not you.

Why, you...!

- Oh!

- Sorry, miss.

- Would you take your seat?

- I'm getting off at the next stop.

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Vernon Sylvaine

Vernon Sylvaine (1896–1957) was a British playwright and screenwriter. He is known for writing several popular stage farces. He began working in film in 1937 when his stage hit Aren't Men Beasts! was turned into a film of the same title starring Robertson Hare and Alfred Drayton. Hare and Drayton starred in two further adaptations of his plays A Spot of Bother (1938) and Women Aren't Angels (1943). He adapted his own play for the 1943 comedy-thriller Warn That Man starring Gordon Harker, Basil Radford and Judy Kelly. His 1948 play One Wild Oat was turned into a 1951 film of the same title. He was the father of the actress June Sylvaine. more…

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