Next to No Time, also known as Next to No Time!, is a 1958 British colour comedy film written and directed by Henry Cornelius and starring Kenneth More, Betsy Drake, John Laurie, Sid James, and Irene Handl. It was based on Paul Gallico's short story "The Enchanted Hour". It was the last feature film completed by Cornelius before his death in 1958. The film concerns an underconfident engineer who is helped by the advice of a ship's barman.
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Plot
David Webb is a mild-mannered British planning engineer sent across the Atlantic by his firm to negotiate a deal, a task for which he feels hugely out of his depth. However, a friendly barman, with the aid of a special cocktail, convinces Webb that his personality changes during the hour when the clocks on the ship are stopped as it enters a new time zone.
Production
In March 1957, Cornelius travelled to the United States to find an American co-star to appear opposite Kenneth More.
The film was shot at Shepperton Studios.
Cinematographer Freddie Francis described the film as "a bit of a mess" and said Cornelius was "a lovely man but a bit of a muddler." He suggested that Kenneth More had become somewhat of a "law unto himself" by this time, which may have contributed to the lack of strong direction.
Release
The film premiered at a cinema aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, on which some of the film was shot, while the ship was docked at Southampton. It was released in the United States by Rank Distributors of America, marking the first time that company distributed a non-Rank production.
Kinematograph Weekly noted that despite More's presence the film "failed to bring much kudos" at the box office.
Critical reception
Variety called the film "a flimsy comedy" with "impeccable casting".
The New York Times described it as "thin, transparent and bouncy," likening it to the bubbles cascading around the opening credits.
FilmInk argued that Kenneth More was miscast in a role that would have suited Alec Guinness or Norman Wisdom better, stating that More's natural confidence undermined the "worm turning" device.
Leslie Halliwell called it a "whimsical comedy which never gains momentum."
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: "This whimsical comedy was something of a disappointment considering it marked the reunion of director Henry Cornelius with his Genevieve star Kenneth More. Sadly, it proved to be Cornelius's last picture before his tragically early death the same year during the production of Law and Disorder. More is curiously out of sorts as an engineer who uses a voyage on the Queen Elizabeth to persuade wealthy Roland Culver to back his latest project. His romantic interest is provided by Betsy Drake, who was then married to Cary Grant."
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959, David Quinlan rated the film as "good," writing: "Pleasant, if uneasy mixture of genres. Smiles rather than guffaws."