Don't Ever Leave Me


Don't Ever Leave Me is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Petula Clark, Jimmy Hanley, Hugh Sinclair, Edward Rigby, and Anthony Newley. Produced by Betty Box during her stint at Gainsborough Pictures, it was written by Robert Westerby.

Plot

The plot, a variation on The Ransom of Red Chief, revolves around Sheila Farlaine, the teenaged daughter of Shakespearean tragedian Michael Farlaine, who is kidnapped by elderly crook Harry Denton when it's suggested he no longer has what it takes to be a master criminal.
When Harry starts having second thoughts about the caper, Sheila - tired of playing second fiddle to her egotistical father's career - becomes the mastermind of the plot and resists every effort made by Harry's grandson Jack to return her home before she's discovered missing. In this strange scenario Sheila wants to be kidnapped, as she thinks her father will at last take some interest. She begins to take a romantic interest in Jack, and despite her only being 15, he begins taking her out to clubs and casinos, wining, dining and dancing. Jack's girlfriend is less than happy when she discovers this.
Sheila's friend Jimmy decides that he too wants to be "kidnapped" and general nuisance to one and all.

Production

Taking advantage of Clark's vocal abilities, screenwriter Westerby included two scenes in which she sang the tune "It's Not for the Want of Trying" by songwriters Jack Fishman and Peter Hart. The film, Clark's twelfth, allowed her to play a role more mature than she had in previous outings, and was both a critical and commercial success.

Cast