The Agitator is a 1945 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring William Hartnell, Mary Morris and John Laurie.[1][2] It was written by Edward Dryhurst based on the 1925 novel Peter Pettinger by William Riley. It was made by British National Films at the company's Elstree Studios, with sets designed by the art director Wilfred Arnold.

The Agitator
Directed byJohn Harlow
Written byEdward Dryhurst
Based onPeter Pettinger
by William Riley
Produced byLouis H. Jackson
Starring
CinematographyJames Wilson
Edited byDouglas Myers
Music byJohn Greenwood
Production
company
Distributed byAnglo-American Film Corporation
Release date
  • 3 September 1945 (1945-09-03)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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A young mechanic unexpectedly inherits the large firm where he works and tries to run it according to his socialist political beliefs.

Cast

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Critical reception

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The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Here is a strong story which grips its audience up to the moment when it starts to make rather obvious fun of Pettinger in his exalted position – and sometimes even after that. Billy Hartnell makes the most of the character of Peter Pettinger, and on the whole he is well supported by the rest of the cast, which includes such well-known names as John Laurie, Moore Marriott, Joss Ambler, Cathleen Nesbitt and Bransby Williams. Wilfred Arnolds' art direction is good, and John Harlow has kept his direction in key. The film is certainly thought-provoking and a good example of the less lavish type of British production."[3]

References

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  1. ^ "The Agitator". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ BFI.org
  3. ^ "The Agitator". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 12 (133): 1. 1 January 1945 – via ProQuest.

Bibliography

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  • Gillett, Phillip. The British Working Class in Postwar Film. Manchester University Press, 2003.
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