The Man in the White Suit (1951): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Man in the White Suit is a 1951 sci-fi comedy directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, Cecil Parker and Joan Greenwood. It runs 1 hour 25 minutes and earned $8,933 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 25m (85 min)
- Director
- Alexander Mackendrick
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- The Rank Organisation
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Man in the White Suit About?
The premise of The Man in the White Suit without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Sidney Stratton, a shy inventor, creates a fabric that never gets dirty or wears out. Though it could make him wealthy, a single suit would eliminate repairs and new purchases, threatening the clothing industry. Determined to market it, Sidney must confront powerful garment manufacturers who resort to desperate measures.
The Man in the White Suit Themes & Keywords
· 36 tags- invention
- capitalism
- inventor
- factory
- clothing industry
- textile industry
- labor union
- capital vs labor
- idealism
- chemist
- business
- research laboratory
+24 more Show fewer
- mill worker
- greed
- capitalist
- boss' daughter
- altruism
- progress
- politics
- scientist
- literature on screen
- european literature on screen
- british literature on screen
- humoristic literature on screen
- british humoristic literature on screen
- science fiction literature on screen
- british science fiction literature on screen
- 20th century literature on screen
- washerwoman
- white suit
- vested interest
- taxi driver
- rooming house
- landlady
- explosion
- union
The Man in the White Suit Cast & Characters
Alec Guinness leads the cast as Sidney Stratton, with Cecil Parker as Alan Birnley and Joan Greenwood as Daphne Birnley. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick; 51 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Alexander Mackendrick
-
Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton -
Cecil Parker as Alan Birnley - Joan Greenwood as Daphne Birnley
- Vida Hope as Bertha
Also Starring in The Man in the White Suit
· 47 more- Michael Gough Michael Corland
- Duncan Lamont Harry
- Judith Furse Nurse Gamage
- Harold Goodwin Wilkins
- Miles Malleson The Tailor
- Russell Waters Davidson
- Colin Gordon Hill
- Ernest Thesiger Sir John Kierlaw
- Jim Brady Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Arthur Howard Roberts
- Howard Marion-Crawford Cranford
- Frank Atkinson The Baker
- Roddy Hughes Green
- Edie Martin Mrs. Watson
- George Benson The Lodger
- Jack McNaughton Taxi Driver
Show all 51 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Arthur Mullard
- Brian Worth King
- Ewan Roberts Fotheringay
- Desmond Roberts Mannering
- Charlotte Mitchell Mill Girl
- Patric Doonan Frank
- Dan Cressey Lab Technician (uncredited)
- Joe Phelps Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Stuart Latham Harrison
- Henry Mollison Hoskins
- Charles Saynor Pete
- Olaf Olsen Knudsen
- Jack Arrow Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Harold Coyne Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Jack Howarth Receptionist at Corland Mill
- Mandy Miller Gladdie
- Scott Harrold Express Reporter
- Billy Russell Nightwatchman
- Charles Cullum 1st Company Director
- Alan Haines Reporter (uncredited)
- John Rudling Wilson
- David Boyd Office Boy (uncredited)
- Frank Howard Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Laurence Hepworth Chauffeur (uncredited)
- Gertrude Kaye Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Johnny Rossi Baker (uncredited)
- Andy Alston Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Carol Wolveridge Schoolgirl in Front of Class (uncredited)
- F.B.J. Sharp 2nd Company Director
- Jimmy Millar Mill Worker (uncredited)
- Joan Harben Miss Johnson
More from Alexander Mackendrick
More films directed by Alexander Mackendrick, best-rated first: The Ladykillers, Sweet Smell of Success (re-release), Don’t Make Waves and A High Wind in Jamaica.
The Man in the White Suit Plot Summary
What happens in The Man in the White Suit from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Sidney Stratton, a gifted research chemist and former Cambridge scholar, is driven by a bold dream: to create a fibre that never wears out and resists dirt. His obsession with perfecting this miracle material leads him to pursue costly laboratory facilities, a pursuit that repeatedly burns bridges with employers who don’t want to bankroll his experiments. He ends up working as a labourer at Birnley Mills, where his genius remains largely unseen by the day-to-day pace of the factory floor. Yet behind the scenes, Stratton uses restricted access to research gear, grinding away at the challenge until, through stubborn experimentation, he yields a breakthrough—an extraordinary synthetic fibre that behaves unlike any other textile.
Full summary
The whole story of The Man in the White Suit, scene by scene
The Man in the White Suit Box Office
The Man in the White Suit grossed $8,933 worldwide. $8,718 came from the US and Canada and $215 (2%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$8.9K
- US & Canada
- $8.7K
- International
- $215
The Man in the White Suit Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Official Trailer restored in 4K
- Featurette Howard Rodman on THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
How Well Do You Know The Man in the White Suit?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays the chemist Sidney Stratton?
The Man in the White Suit Also Known As
13 alternative titles, including “El hombre vestido de blanco” and “L'Homme au complet blanc”.
- Also known as
-
- El hombre vestido de blanco
- L'Homme au complet blanc
- Der Mann im weißen Anzug
- Lo scandalo del vestito bianco
- O Homem do Terno Branco
- Человек в белом костюме
- El hombre del traje blanco
- Mannen i vita kostymen
- Beyaz Elbiseli Adam
- 白衣男子
- 흰 양복의 사나이
- A fehér öltönyös férfi
+1 more Show fewer
- L’home del vestit blanc
Seen The Man in the White Suit?
Movies Like The Man in the White Suit
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including New Suit, The White Suit and White Tie and Tails.
The Man in the White Suit FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Man in the White Suit, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Man in the White Suit?
The Man in the White Suit runs 1 hour 25 minutes (85 minutes).
When was The Man in the White Suit released?
The Man in the White Suit was released on August 7, 1951.
Who directed The Man in the White Suit?
The Man in the White Suit was directed by Alexander Mackendrick.
More films by Alexander Mackendrick Who is in the cast of The Man in the White Suit?
The Man in the White Suit stars Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, Cecil Parker as Alan Birnley and Joan Greenwood as Daphne Birnley, among 51 credited actors.
How much did The Man in the White Suit make at the box office?
The Man in the White Suit grossed $8,933 worldwide ($8,718 domestic, $215 international).
Does The Man in the White Suit have a post-credit scene?
No. The Man in the White Suit has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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