I am surprised at some of the less than enthusiastic reviews here - Kipps a fool and a boob??? Good heavens, I thought he was just an innocent, an unsophisticated draper's assistant, no match for the mercenary Walshinghams. The story was set around 1900, not 2000 and Kipps didn't know what life was all about - it wasn't subtitled "The Story of a Simple Soul" for nothing!! H.G. Well's book is a satirical look at class pretensions and it also manages a dig at the flourishing Arts and Crafts movement of 1890 - 1910. That was when night schools were springing up, encouraging ordinary workers to take up crafts and skills such as (in Kipp's case) wood carving. Even though Wells wrote the feminist book "Ann Veronica" which told of a girl's affair with her teacher, he was still a Victorian at heart and in "Kipps" there was a dig at Helen Walshingham's attempts at short story writing - to which Kipps replies "Oh, so you just make stuff up"!! Talk about cutting her down to size!! Then there's snobby Mrs. Walshingham, who calls her children her "two little jewels". Her favourite phrase is "they need opportunities as other people need air" - in view of what happens at the end there is a wealth of meaning in Helen's phrase "my mother is overcome with grief"!! Did I happen to mention that "Kipps" is one of my favourite books!!
Even though World War 2 was raging, British movies were not confined to just documentaries and patriotic efforts - Carol Reed made an excellent version of "Kipps" with Michael Redgrave (a bit more refined than the book character) perfect as the humble draper's assistant.
Kipps is sent off by his aunt and uncle to become an apprentice at Shalford's Drapery but before he goes he and his sweetheart, Ann, exchange half sixpences. Kipps doesn't give Ann much thought over the intervening years but the drapery business proves a real thorn in his side. A chance meeting with Chitterlow, a colourful playwright (Chitterlow runs him over on his bicycle) sees Kipps spend a night on the town with his new found friend and when he finally returns to the shop it is to find out he has been "swapped" (fired). Before he leaves he renews the acquaintance of Helen, a very refined woman who takes the wood carving class Kipps joined in order to improve himself.
I know Diana Wynyard is perfection as the beautiful but remote Helen but was there ever a sweeter "little woman" than Phyllis Calvert as Ann. She is the only person who realises that Kipp's inheritance may turn out to be a curse rather than a blessing. When Kipp's inheritance becomes common knowledge, the parasites come out of the wood work, in other words - the Walshinghams, who are far less haughty now they have heard of his good fortune. One thing leads to another and Kipps acquires a fiancée (Helen) and a new set of rules to follow about his dress, his speech and his old friends. He also meets Ann again who is now in service and he is swept away by the uncomplicated past. He also neglects to tell Ann he is engaged but, of course, she finds out when, in her capacity as a maid, she opens the door to Kipps who has come to join in an "Anagram Tea"!!!
This was an excellent adaptation - all the key scenes are there, all the philosophizing and socialism isn't. Definitely Kipp's uncle "Old Kipps", had some of the funniest scenes in the book - in the movie he comes across as a bit shifty!! Another difference was, at the novel's end, Helen was only talked about as having run off with Revel, a married man, but in the movie she was the one who broke the news to Kipps about her brother and gives a little speech where she admits to over reaching her social ambitions - in other words being a social climber!!!
