This is a movie version of one of those brittle post-war stage farces, originally written by Ronald Jeans. Given then-current housing shortages, two couples -- Joan Greenwood & Nigel Patrick; Derek Farr & Helen Cherry -- are sharing a house. Each has one toddler, and only Miss Greenwood to work act dogsbody for the menage. Given her super-posh accent, she is an absolute flub at it, but she does get to show some athleticism as she leaps from one disaster to the next. When Miss Cherry locates a decent nanny for the children in the person of Athene Seyler, everyone thinks for a moment that the situation is saved, but for the purposes of the plot, they tell her the children are siblings, and she believes Miss Greenwood is married to Mr. Farr. The usual comedy of misconstruction ensues, carried on by speed and the abilities of the cast. Alas, the effort never quite opens up beyond its stage origins.

Movie fans will want to see this for a sizable supporting role by Audrey Hepburn. She plays a young woman who has a room in the house and whose salient quality is she is terrified of men. Although her character connects loosely with the plot at several points, I had the distinct impression that at some stage of the movie's origins -- perhaps before the play actually opened -- the role was actually much larger. Now it is largely vestigial, even if it is the main reason the movie is remembered.

Sabina (Joan Greenwood) and Mary (Helen Cherry) are both married sisters who also have a child each of a similar age.

Sabina is a former actress now a young housewife married to writer Rodney.

Meanwhile both Mary and her sedate husband Bruce go out to work.

It leaves Sabina to look after the house and cook for them all. There is a nanny that cares for the children but she leaves when Bruce is rude to her.

To remedy the situation, Mary quickly finds a replacement and this time they pass both the kids off as siblings.

Later for some unfathomable reason. Sabina ends up kissing two men, one of them being Bruce.

This annoys both Mary and Rodney who ends up kissing lovelorn lodger Eve (Audrey Hepburn.)

This is a middle class farce that is not funny and very much of its time. It is very sedate probably due to the censorship laws of the time.

I had no idea why Sabina ended up kissing the other men and I expected both Mary and Rodney to be enraged.

There was no social commentary here. The house was spacious when it was meant to demonstrate the post war housing crisis.

Sabina was not much of a housewife, unable to cook for four adults when she had a nanny to mind the kids.

Joan Greenwood (Sabina Pennant),Nigel Patrick (Rodney Pennant),Derek Farr (Bruce Banning),Guy Middleton (Victor Manifold),Athene Seyler (Nanny Gallop),Helen Cherry (Mary Banning),Audrey Hepburn (Eve Lester),Fabia Drake (Nurse Blott),Irene Handl, Joan Sanderson (nurses — Regents Park),Selma Vaz Dias (Ayah),Jack McNaughton (taxi driver),Brian Oulton (man in pub),Carol James (Elizabeth).

Director: HENRY CASS. Screenplay: Anne Burnaby. Based on the 1949 stage play by Ronald Jeans. Photography: Erwin Hillier. Film editor: E. Jarvis. Music composed by Philip Green, played by the Associated British Studio Orchestra, conducted by Louis Levy. Art director: Terence Verity. Make-up: Bob Clark. Hair styles: A. G. Scott. Set continuity: Thelma Orr. Camera operator: Norman Warwick. Scenario editor: Frederic Gottfurt. Production manager: William A. Whittaker. Sound recording director: Harold V. King. RCA Sound System. Producer: Victor Skutezky.

Copyright 15 August 1952 by Stratford Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Paris: 3 November 1952. U.S. release through Stratford: 9 June 1952. Made by Associated British Picture Corp., London. Released in the U.K. through Associated British-Pathe: 12 November 1951. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 23 April 1953 (sic). 7,108 feet. 79 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: The housing shortage causes two families to share the one house.

COMMENT: Little more than a photographed stage play. Only the slightest bit of opening-out is attempted. The core of the script is indifferent, with humor of the most basic and elementary slapstick and the usual stage caricatures.

Nigel Patrick plays the bumbling, fall-over-anything-and-everything dad; Joan Greenwood the put-upon housewife who yearns to be glamorous; Guy Middleton once again cast as a ridiculously obvious would-be seducer; Helen Cherry is the toughie with a job; while Derek Farr essays the mild-mannered spouse; Athene Seyler does her bit as a doting nanny; while last but certainly not least in this second-rate company, Audrey Hepburn appears as a man-shy butterfly.

Yes, I realize Audrey's presence is the main reason anyone would want to see this film, but be warned her role is small, though it does run through the whole play. In fact she has a couple of scenes and even a few close-ups. Although she acts in her usual prissy style (more so, if anything),she is neither flatteringly photographed nor costumed. Still fans will not have any trouble recognizing her. You can close your eyes even. That too-too upper- echelon voice and that arch dialogue delivery is an absolute trademark.

Three or four very mild jokes enliven the single plot twist (the boofhead nanny gets the two couples confused) before an ineptly staged slapstick finale finally puts both audience and cast out of their misery.

Cass's direction is surprisingly pedestrian. He's supposed to be a first-class and totally experienced Joe, but I wouldn't even engage him to direct traffic in a one-way street. Photography and other credits are also distinctly second class; and production values rate definitely way below economy class.