The Promoter
Director: Ronald Neame
Year Released: 1952
Rating: 3.0
A genuinely likeable film, warm and sweet but not to the point of being corny, with Alec Guinness (sporting the most dopey grin) playing a venture capitalist who does poorly in school, but possesses the gumption to make something out of himself nonetheless. It's a little rambling, as people that you think are gone for good just keep popping up again and again, and there isn't a lot of dramatic conflict, but Guinness keeps you watching; his earnest character is someone you want to see succeed, and he does so in the most grandiose fashion, making friends with royalty and shysters alike. The ending is most charming, and came out of left field for me, as I sat fearing he would marry the wrong girl (surprise: he doesn't).
