Chance Of A Lifetime (1950, Kenneth More, Bernard Miles)

In Chance Of A Lifetime when industrialist Dickinson (Basil Radfrod) sacks a worker and has a strike on his hands, he remarks that he would willingly change places with the workers. They take him at his word and he rents them the factory.

Employees Stevens (Bernard Miles) and Morris (Julien Mitchell) are appointed managers by their fellow workers and win a large foreign order for a new plough. But when the order is almost completed, it is cancelled due to the dollar shortage and the workers’ management has to dispose of a large number of modified ploughs…

The film was not a commercial success in spite of excellent reviews, particularly from the Evening Standard : “The story this film has to tell is as significant and urgent as today’s dock strike… As a skilful piece of filming it is well above average and it has brilliantly evoked the authentic atmosphere of an English factory…”

production details
Country: UK | Pilgrim Pictures | 93 minutes
Release Year: 1950

Writers: Bernard Miles, Walter Greenwood
Cinematography: Eric Cross
Producer: Bernard Miles
Directors: Bernard Miles, Alan Osbiston

cast
Kenneth More as Adam
Julien Mitchell as Morris
Eric Pohlmann as Xenobian
Bernard Miles as Stevens
Basil Radford as Dickinson
Geoffrey Keen as Bolger
Patrick Troughton as Kettle
Niall MacGinnis as Baxter
Josephine Wilson as Miss Cooper
Hattie Jacques as Alice
John Harvey as Bland
Russell Waters as Palmer
Peter Jones as Xenobian
Bernard Rebel as Xenobian
Amy Veness as Lady Davis
Stanley Van Beers as Calvert
Norman Pierce as Franklin
Gordon McLeod as Garrett
Compton MacKenzie as Sir Robert Dysart
Nigel Fitzgerald as Pennington
Alastair Hunter as Groves
Mollie Palmer as Millie
George Street as 1st Trade Union Man
Stanley Rose as 2nd Trade Union Man
Erik Chitty as Silas Pike
Leonard Sharp as Mitch
John Boddington as Bank Clerk
Hilda Fenemore as Worker
Helen Harvey as Worker
Peggy Ann Clifford as Worker
Sam Kydd as Worker
Jim Watts as Worker
Henry Bryce as Worker
Basil Cunard as Worker
Tony Halfpenny as Worker
Howell Davies as Worker
Donald Tandy as Worker
Noel Dyson as Tea Lady