Review of The Man in the White Suit (1951) by Cassandra M — 25 Jan 2011
While I believe this a great comedy with that typically whimsical Ealing charm and Alec Guinness in top form, I must admit I find the premise very silly. If the "everlasting" cloth, so impractical it needs to be cut with a blow torch, were really capable of taking down the entire British textile industry why aren't we all walking around in clothes made out of haz-mat suits? As usual the imaginative moviemakers, on either side of the Atlantic, have little imagination when it comes to the desires and guiding influence of the consumer.
The public wouldn't have been any more impressed with Sidney Stratton's invention than they are with Under Armour today. They would still buy cotton shirts and leather jackets and regard a glow-in-the-dark material of near indestructible strength as a novelty at worst and just another style option at best.
Still the movie has a lot of fun with the push and pull of capital and labor, and the misconceptions each has about the other.
This review of The Man in the White Suit (1951) was written by Cassandra M on 25 Jan 2011.
The Man in the White Suit has generally received positive reviews.
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