The Little Hut (1957)

90-91 mins | Romantic comedy | 24 May 1957

Director:

Mark Robson

Writer:

F. Hugh Herbert

Cinematographer:

F. A. Young

Editor:

Ernest Walter

Production Designer:

Elliot Scott

Production Company:

Herbson S.A. Production
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HISTORY

In the opening credits for the film a shot of the front side of a bedroom dressing screen is shown, on which a female’s and then two males’ clothes are thrown. The following written prologue appears in the onscreen credits: "'Tut, tut, child,' said the Duchess, 'Everything's got a moral if you only can find it.' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--And our story, as you will see, is no exception."
       In addition to the Paris and London theatrical openings for the play, The Little Hut opened on Broadway 7 Oct 1953. According to a 19 Jan 1956 HR news item, several studios had turned down adapting the play for the screen because of concerns about receiving PCA certification. As noted in an 11 Nov 1956 LAT article, in the original play, the character of the husband and lover actually “share the wife's affections” on alternate weeks while on the island. For the film, producers F. Hugh Herbert and Mark Robson changed the characters’ relationships and gave the husband a captain’s title, which gives him the authority to divorce his wife.
       According to a 14 Mar 1953 LAT article, the play was originally purchased by British producer Alexander Korda, who approached George Sanders and Zsa Zsa Gabor and David Niven to star in a film adaptation. However, a 15 Feb 1955 LAEx article states that Robson and playwright F. Hugh Herbert created a new company to produce The Little Hut. According to a 1956 LAT article, Herbert had finished the screenplay and the company was approaching Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, who were married ...

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In the opening credits for the film a shot of the front side of a bedroom dressing screen is shown, on which a female’s and then two males’ clothes are thrown. The following written prologue appears in the onscreen credits: "'Tut, tut, child,' said the Duchess, 'Everything's got a moral if you only can find it.' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--And our story, as you will see, is no exception."
       In addition to the Paris and London theatrical openings for the play, The Little Hut opened on Broadway 7 Oct 1953. According to a 19 Jan 1956 HR news item, several studios had turned down adapting the play for the screen because of concerns about receiving PCA certification. As noted in an 11 Nov 1956 LAT article, in the original play, the character of the husband and lover actually “share the wife's affections” on alternate weeks while on the island. For the film, producers F. Hugh Herbert and Mark Robson changed the characters’ relationships and gave the husband a captain’s title, which gives him the authority to divorce his wife.
       According to a 14 Mar 1953 LAT article, the play was originally purchased by British producer Alexander Korda, who approached George Sanders and Zsa Zsa Gabor and David Niven to star in a film adaptation. However, a 15 Feb 1955 LAEx article states that Robson and playwright F. Hugh Herbert created a new company to produce The Little Hut. According to a 1956 LAT article, Herbert had finished the screenplay and the company was approaching Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, who were married at the time, to star in the film.
       A 6 Jul 1956 HR news item adds Laidman Brown to the cast, but his appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. The Little Hut was shot in part on location in London and Rome, with background shooting in Jamaica. The film marked Italian actor Walter Chiari's American film debut.
       As part of the promotion for the film, M-G-M created an international limerick contest, offering a small island in the Fiji Islands newly renamed Ava-Ava as a prize. The winner, Kent Shelby, moved to the island; however, according to a 20 May 1974 People interview, Shelby was forced to move off the uninhabited island after M-G-M removed the furnishings and the servant provided to him upon his arrival.

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
11 May 1957
---
Cue
4 May 1957
---
Daily Variety
3 May 1957
p. 3
Film Daily
3 May 1957
p. 6
Hollywood Reporter
19 Jan 1956
---
Hollywood Reporter
6 Jul 1956
p. 7, 9
Hollywood Reporter
20 Jul 1956
p. 11
Hollywood Reporter
23 Jul 1956
p. 4
Hollywood Reporter
2 Aug 1956
p. 4
Hollywood Reporter
4 Sep 1956
p. 6
Hollywood Reporter
3 May 1957
p. 3
Los Angeles Examiner
15 Feb 1955
---
Los Angeles Times
14 Mar 1953
---
Los Angeles Times
7 Feb 1956
---
Los Angeles Times
11 Nov 1956
---
Motion Picture Daily
3 May 1957
---
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
11 May 1957
p. 369
New York Times
9 Sep 1956
---
New York Times
4 May 1957
p. 25
New Yorker
11 May 1957
---
Variety
15 May 1957
p. 6
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
PRODUCTION TEXT
A Herbson S.A. Production
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCERS
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photog
Cam op
ART DIRECTOR
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
COSTUMES
Miss Gardner's cost des and executed by
MUSIC
Mus score
SOUND
Rec supv
P. Cavazutti
Sd rec
VISUAL EFFECTS
Photog eff
MAKEUP
Hairdressing
PRODUCTION MISC
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the play La Petite Hutte by André Roussin (Paris, 1947) and the English stage adaptation The Little Hut by Nancy Mitford (London, 23 Aug 1950).
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHORS
SONGS
"The Little Hut," music by Peggy Cochrane, lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and Marcel Stellman.
DETAILS
Release Date:
24 May 1957
Premiere Information:
New York opening: 3 May 1957
Production Date:
early--late Jul 1956 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Boreham Wood, Elstree, England; late Jul--31 Aug 1956 at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Hollywood
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Herbson, S.A.
31 December 1956
LP8573
Physical Properties:
Sound
Westrex Recording System; Perspecta Sound
Color
Eastman Color
Widescreen/ratio
1.85:1
Duration(in mins):
90-91
Length(in feet):
8,102
Length(in reels):
10
Countries:
United Kingdom, United States
Language:
English
PCA No:
18344
SYNOPSIS

Just as English civil servant Henry Brittingham-Brett explains to his parents that he is no longer involved with his erstwhile girl friend Susan, she bursts into Henry’s office and lavishes affection on him. Susan explains to the Reverend and Mrs. Brittingham-Brett that she is married to Henry’s best friend, Sir Philip Ashlowe, a British nobleman who has little time for her after attending to his government affairs. When Philip arrives home that day, Susan complains about the effect his work commitment has had on their relationship and persuades him to take a party of friends for a vacation on their yacht. Having invited Henry and his parents to dinner that evening, Susan shows the guests home movies of her and Henry. Henry’s parents are disturbed when they see Susan kissing Henry in nearly every scene and even more disturbed by Philip’s naive suggestion that his best friend and wife are only having “good clean fun.” Later, Henry’s mother suggests to the Reverend that Susan is using their son to incite Philip’s jealousy. Back at the Ashlowe’s, Susan uses her sexy negligee to arouse Philip’s interest in a romantic evening, but he is too busy to notice and kisses their dog Nelson instead of Susan. When the couple set sail on the yacht, Susan hopes for some time alone with Philip but finds that her industrious husband is too consumed with helping out on board at all hours. Needing a diversion, Susan calls Henry and entreats him to profess his love for her in a rendezvous on the deck. After days at sea, a violent storm sinks the yacht, marooning Philip, Susan, Henry and Nelson, who became separated from the ...

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Just as English civil servant Henry Brittingham-Brett explains to his parents that he is no longer involved with his erstwhile girl friend Susan, she bursts into Henry’s office and lavishes affection on him. Susan explains to the Reverend and Mrs. Brittingham-Brett that she is married to Henry’s best friend, Sir Philip Ashlowe, a British nobleman who has little time for her after attending to his government affairs. When Philip arrives home that day, Susan complains about the effect his work commitment has had on their relationship and persuades him to take a party of friends for a vacation on their yacht. Having invited Henry and his parents to dinner that evening, Susan shows the guests home movies of her and Henry. Henry’s parents are disturbed when they see Susan kissing Henry in nearly every scene and even more disturbed by Philip’s naive suggestion that his best friend and wife are only having “good clean fun.” Later, Henry’s mother suggests to the Reverend that Susan is using their son to incite Philip’s jealousy. Back at the Ashlowe’s, Susan uses her sexy negligee to arouse Philip’s interest in a romantic evening, but he is too busy to notice and kisses their dog Nelson instead of Susan. When the couple set sail on the yacht, Susan hopes for some time alone with Philip but finds that her industrious husband is too consumed with helping out on board at all hours. Needing a diversion, Susan calls Henry and entreats him to profess his love for her in a rendezvous on the deck. After days at sea, a violent storm sinks the yacht, marooning Philip, Susan, Henry and Nelson, who became separated from the other passengers, on an uninhabited tropical island. The practical Philip immediately begins building a big hut for him and Susan and a little bachelor hut for Henry. Susan secretly hopes that life on the island will provide more time to be with her husband; however, Philip is completely preoccupied with the building construction. He even rigs an intercom system between the huts with conch shells. Henry’s attempts to aid Philip are clumsy and ignorant, causing both Susan and Philip to scoff at him. Susan takes over gathering the oysters, preparing meals and washing the clothes wearing only her black undergarments, saving her evening gown for meals. On the eve of the huts’ completion, Susan sees her chance finally to be alone with her husband and invites him to the hut for romance. Jealous of Susan’s affection for her husband, Henry distracts Philip with a game of chess. By the twenty-sixth day on the island Henry is so desperate for female companionship that he kisses Susan, then proposes that they have an affair. Susan, far from being shocked, concludes that Philip would never suspect them because he takes her for granted, but refuses Henry anyway. Sulking, Henry threatens to tell Philip that he loves Susan and offer a “lend-lease” situation. Since Philip has been generous enough to share his shoes, Henry concludes that Philip might lend him his wife as well. Infuriated by the immoral suggestion, Susan warns that the proposal will only ruin their friendship. Later that day, Susan is eavesdropping when Henry tells Philip that they should share Susan. Philip thinks the suggestion is deplorable, but Henry argues that Philip neglects his wife and claims that he has been Susan’s lover for several years. When Philip protests that Susan is too much of a child to have had a lover, Henry falsely gives Philip his word of honor that the affair has taken place. Susan resents being referred to as a child and is incredulous that the suggestion does not anger Philip more. When Susan denies having an affair with Henry, Philip, the logical diplomat, resolves to find a solution to the dilemma. As captain of the ship, Philip claims he has the power to perform both marriages and divorces and asks Susan to state her case for divorce. Susan alleges neglect and indifference, citing Philip’s inability to recall the shade of the negligee with which she last tried to seduce him. Philip concedes to a divorce and suggests that Susan use her conscience to decide the fate of their relationship. Leaving Henry alone at the big hut with Susan, Philip moves to the little hut with Nelson. Later that night, Philip sends Nelson back to the big hut, knowing the dog will bark Henry out of the couple’s home and force him to sleep outside. Soon after, when Philip calls with the description of the negligee in question, he once again endears himself to Susan. The next morning, the competition between the two men has rejuvenated Philip’s interest in his marriage. He and Susan are busy adoring one another, when a man dressed as an island native surprises the group and ties up Philip and Henry. They try to reason with him, but the native utters gibberish and then drags Susan to the big hut. Once inside the hut, Susan falls, causing the man to exclaim in Italian. Susan then recognizes the man as Mario, the yacht’s chef, who concocted the scheme to satiate his “primitive desires.” When Susan laughs at Mario’s explanation, Henry and Philip assume she is enjoying her captor’s attentions and blame each other for her infidelity. Susan is pleased to see that she has finally riled her husband’s anger when she exits the hut. Suddenly a ship’s horn sounds off shore, causing Mario to scream in English, revealing his true identity to the men. Once safely on board the ship, Henry finally concedes that there was no affair. Back in London, Henry, still assuming the divorce was valid, arrives one night at the Ashlowe house to ask Susan to marry him but finds Philip and Susan in their nightclothes preparing to retire. Upon seeing that Susan is knitting a baby sweater, Henry understands the nature of his defeat and exits the house with a barking Nelson in tow.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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