The Green Man (film)


The Green Man is a 1956 British black comedy film based on the play Meet a Body by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, who produced and adapted the big-screen version.

Plot

Freelance assassin Hawkins is contracted to blow up Sir Gregory Upshott, a prominent and pompous London businessman. By courting Upshott's spinster secretary, he learns that his target will be taking one of the firm's typists for a weekend at a seaside hotel, the Green Man. Hawkins hides a bomb in a radio, which he plans to leave in the hotel lounge. Finding out his treachery, the secretary comes to his house to confront him but is attacked and left for dead by Hawkins' assistant who, as nobody is in, hides the body next door.
The body is found by a young vacuum cleaner salesman called Blake who calls there, and he alerts the owner's pretty fiancée Ann. The two are terrified, and when the owner comes home he finds them hiding under the bed. He storms out, but coming back to pick up something he forgot finds Ann on the floor in her underwear, again innocently entangled with Blake. His furious exit creates doubt over the future relationship. Blake and Ann then face another moment of horror as the corpse comes to life and, before collapsing again, tells them Upshott will be blown up that night in the Green Man.
Not knowing what Upshott looks like or what name he will register under, the pair rush there and, obstructed at every turn by the landlord, try to evacuate the place and locate the bomb. Blake has the brainwave that it will be on a timer in the radio, which he throws into the sea seconds before it explodes. Driving back to London, he stops and the two share their first kiss.

Cast

Cole's then wife, Eileen Moore, appeared in the film as the typist with whom Upshott has a liaison.
The film, rated U, has been re-released on Region 2 DVD with School for Scoundrels.