A rather undiplomatic British diplomat takes up his new post in Spain accompanied by his son Nicholas. The posting is something of a disappointment to the father, who was hoping for a ...
See full summary »
Check out IMDb's full coverage of all the major awards events, including the Critics Choice Awards, Gotham Awards, and more.
Related News
Dirk Bogarde: the rebellion of a reluctant pinup
25 March 2011 2:00 AM, +02:00 | The Guardian - Film News
25 March 2011 2:00 AM, +02:00 | The Guardian - Film News
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: The Spanish Gardener (1956)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
1 nomination.
See more awards »
Photos
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Hunted
(1952)
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Charles Crichton
Stars:
Dirk Bogarde,
Jon Whiteley,
Elizabeth Sellars
Cast a Dark Shadow
(1955)
Thriller
Director:
Lewis Gilbert
Stars:
Dirk Bogarde,
Margaret Lockwood,
Kay Walsh
So Long at the Fair
(1950)
Drama
|
Mystery
Directors:
Antony Darnborough,
Terence Fisher
Stars:
Jean Simmons,
Dirk Bogarde,
David Tomlinson
The Woman in Question
(1950)
Mystery
Director:
Anthony Asquith
Stars:
Jean Kent,
Dirk Bogarde,
John McCallum
The Password Is Courage
(1962)
War
|
Comedy
|
Drama
Director:
Andrew L. Stone
Stars:
Dirk Bogarde,
Maria Perschy,
Alfred Lynch
Ill Met by Moonlight
(1957)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Directors:
Michael Powell,
Emeric Pressburger
Stars:
Dirk Bogarde,
Marius Goring,
David Oxley
Appointment in London
(1953)
Drama
|
Romance
|
War
Director:
Philip Leacock
Stars:
Dirk Bogarde,
Ian Hunter,
Dinah Sheridan
Carve Her Name with Pride
(1958)
Biography
|
Drama
|
War
Director:
Lewis Gilbert
Stars:
Virginia McKenna,
Paul Scofield,
Jack Warner
Green for Danger
(1947)
Crime
|
Mystery
|
Thriller
Director:
Sidney Gilliat
Stars:
Alastair Sim,
Sally Gray,
Trevor Howard
Quartet
(1948)
Drama
|
Romance
Directors:
Ken Annakin,
Arthur Crabtree, and 2 more credits »
Stars:
W. Somerset Maugham,
Basil Radford,
Naunton Wayne
Reap the Wild Wind
(1942)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Director:
Cecil B. DeMille
Stars:
Ray Milland,
John Wayne,
Paulette Goddard
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Dirk Bogarde | ... |
Jose
|
|
| Jon Whiteley | ... |
Nicholas Brande
|
|
| Michael Hordern | ... |
Harrington Brande
|
|
| Cyril Cusack | ... |
Garcia
|
|
| Maureen Swanson | ... |
Maria
|
|
 |
Lyndon Brook | ... |
Robert Burton
|
|
|
Josephine Griffin | ... |
Carol Burton
|
| Bernard Lee | ... |
Leighton Bailey
|
|
|
|
Rosalie Crutchley | ... |
Magdalena
|
|
|
Ina De La Haye | ... |
Jose's Mother
|
|
|
Geoffrey Keen | ... |
Dr. Harvey
|
|
|
Harold Scott | ... |
Pedro
|
|
|
Jack Stewart | ... |
Police Escort
|
|
|
Richard Molinas | ... |
Police Escort
|
|
|
Susan Lyall Grant | ... |
Maid
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
A rather undiplomatic British diplomat takes up his new post in Spain accompanied by his son Nicholas. The posting is something of a disappointment to the father, who was hoping for a promotion. That his wife had left him seems to have affected his career. Nicholas sees it all as something of an adventure and soon becomes fast friends with the new gardener, Jose. The apparently "delicate" Nicholas becomes attached to Jose, and father's jealousy leads him to bar Nicholas from even speaking to the gardener. As tensions mount, another servant frames Jose for theft forcing everyone to review the situation. Written by garykmcd
Genres:
DramaCertificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
28 January 1957 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Der spanische Gärtner See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
The Spanish Gardener is an adaptation from A. J. Cronin's novel of the same name. It tells the story of a British diplomat called Harrington Brande {Michael Hordern excellently grumpy} who is relocated to Cataluña, Spain, after his marriage falls by the way side. Taking his young son Nicholas {Jon Whiteley tender} with him, Harrington is perturbed when Nicholas forms a loving and trusting friendship with the estate gardener Jose {Dirk Bogarde charming}. Bitten by jealousy and tortured by his own inadequacies as a father, Brande becomes nasty and spiteful, and it gets to the point where he will stop at nothing to break up the friendship. All of which is keenly observed by the shifty, and often drunk butler, whom it seems has a very vested interest in the family proceedings.
The Spanish Gardener is a lovely sweet movie that really hits the spot if one is looking for a warming humanistic fable. It has no pretensions to be ground breaking or feel the need to garner critical appraisal. It's message is simple and it relies {and succeeds in my case} on the viewers basic willingness to be engaged by its integrity and story telling worth. Yes it's far from flawless. You will need to accept Dirk Bogarde as being Spanish, what with his fluctuating tan shades throughout the picture being obvious, not really helping that train of thought. Then you will have to get over a disappointment that the budget didn't let the production utilise more of the sumptuous Cataluña {oh my that Sea} location {interiors done at Pinewood Studios}. But couple the warmth and sincerity of the story with John Veale's lovely score, and it's not with the niggles that you come away with.
It's not one I would suggest you rush out to see, but if you get the chance to watch this film, you should do so, for I'm sure you will feel all the better for it come the end. 7/10