The Man in the White Suit

Sidney Stratton is a modest inventor who works in a textile firm while privately developing a synthetic fibre with remarkable properties: it repels dirt and resists wear indefinitely. He is convinced his creation is worth bringing to market, but the people around him see matters differently. Both the owners of the clothing companies and the workers who make their living in the mills recognise that a fabric that never needs replacing would quickly put them out of business, and they join forces to keep it off the shelves. Their resistance, and Sidney's determination to press ahead, drive the conflict.

Alexander Mackendrick directed this British comedy, his second feature, following Whisky Galore! in 1949 and preceding The 'Maggie', The Ladykillers and Sweet Smell of Success. The screenplay is credited to Roger MacDougall, John Dighton and Mackendrick, with Michael Balcon producing for Ealing Studios and The Rank Organisation. Alec Guinness leads the cast as Sidney, alongside Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger and Vida Hope. The film runs 85 minutes and belongs to the comedy and science fiction genres.

The critics' rating stands at 8.5 out of 10 from 15 reviews, a strong figure for a film of this vintage, while on TMDB it holds 6.9 out of 10 from 214 votes. The gap suggests that reviewers responded to the film more warmly than the general audience that has rated it since.