The Million Pound Note (1954) What Would You Do with a Million Pounds? Gregory Peck (Trading Places)

Описание: 🎩 The Million Pound Note (1954) is a 1954 British comedy film based on the 1893 short story "The Million Pound Bank Note" by Mark Twain.

In Edwardian London (1903), a penniless and stranded American seaman named Henry Adams (Gregory Peck) is unwittingly made the subject of a bet between two eccentric, wealthy brothers, Oliver and Roderick Montpelier. They lend Henry an envelope containing a single, non-negotiable one million pound banknote for one month.

The wager is whether the mere appearance of immense wealth will allow him to survive without spending the note. Henry finds that he can acquire anything he needs—food, clothes, and a luxury hotel suite—all on credit, as shopkeepers and high society mistake him for an eccentric millionaire. His status grants him access to exclusive circles and fuels a stock market venture. The plot centers on the humorous and satirical complications that arise from this perceived wealth, culminating in a brief scare when the note is stolen, causing a financial panic among his creditors, before everything is resolved at the end of the month.

   • Science Fiction  
   • Horror  
   • Comedy  
   • Mystery  
   • Thriller  
   • Romance  
   • Drama  

🌟 Starring Cast
Gregory Peck as Henry Adams
Ronald Squire as Oliver Montpelier
Wilfrid Hyde-White as Roderick Montpelier
Jane Griffiths as Portia Lansdowne

🗣️ Public Perception
Contemporary View (UK/Global): The film was a commercial success and was very popular, especially in the UK, Australia, and Hungary (where it was reportedly seen by over 2 million people by 1961). It was viewed as an ingratiating, charming, and gentle comedy, with Gregory Peck's natural honesty playing well against the pompous British aristocracy.

Contemporary View (US): The film failed to find a large audience in the United States, with some critics speculating that Americans may have assumed a Mark Twain-based film would be a "dull classic."

Later/Critical View: It is remembered as a charming, satirical comedy that effectively captures Twain's critique of the superficiality of wealth and status. It is often cited as a cinematic precursor to the 1983 film Trading Places.