Dear Octopus

Dear Octopus is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It is based on a 1938 play, Dear Octopus, written by Dodie Smith. It was also released as The Randolph Family. Plot Well-to-do couple Dora and Charles Randolph are celebrating their golden wedding, and three generations meet at the Randolph country home. As the relatives gather, each reveals his or her personal quirks and shortcomings. Caught in the middle is family secretary Penny Fenton (Margaret Lockwood), who has the unenviable task of sorting and smoothing out the family's deep-set hostilities and jealousies so that a good time can be had by all. Cast Margaret Lockwood – Penny Randolph Michael Wilding – Nicholas Randolph Celia Johnson – Cynthia Roland Culver – Felix Martin Helen Haye – Dora Randolph Athene Seyler – Aunt Belle Jean Cadell – Vicar's wife Basil Radford – Kenneth Frederick Leister – Charles Randolph Nora Swinburne – Edna Antoinette Cellier – Hilda Madge Compton – Marjorie Kathleen Harrison – Mrs Glossop Ann Stephens – Scrap Derek Lansiaux – Bill Alistair Stewart – Joe Evelyn Hall – Gertrude Muriel George – Cook Annie Esmond – Nannie Irene Handl – Flora Arthur Denton – Mr Glossop Pamela Western – Deirdre Arty Ash – Burton Graham Moffatt – Fred the Chauffeur Henry Morrell – Vicar Production Lockwood made it after The Man in Grey in the spring of 1943. She wrote in her memoirs that "there had been some trouble over the script of this film. Neither Herbert [her agent] nor I had considered the part which was offered to me sufficiently good. After much arguing my part was built up, but even so I was not pleased with the film, and felt that for me it had been a backward step."