The Demi-Paradise 1943 DVD - Laurence Olivier / Marjorie Fielding

During World War II, Russian engineer Ivan Kouznetsoff recounts his pre-war stay in England, where he works on designing a new propeller for ice-breaking ships. Initially, Ivan is naïve about British people, believing hearsay that paints them as shallow and hypocritical. His blunt opinions and cultural misunderstandings amuse and bemuse those around him, and at first, he puts off his British hosts, especially Ann Tisdall, whose grandfather owns the shipbuilding firm that will use Ivan's invention. As Ivan spends more time with Ann and her family, he comes to appreciate the humor, warmth, strength, and conviction of the British people, and they, in turn, welcome him as a friend rather than a suspicious foreigner. Amid the growing threat of war, a romantic connection develops between Ivan and Ann, paralleling a cultural bond, especially as Russia is drawn into the conflict. Cast: - Laurence Olivier as Ivan Kouznetsoff - Penelope Dudley-Ward as Ann (credited as Penelope Ward) - Marjorie Fielding as Mrs. Tisdall - Margaret Rutherford as Rowena Ventnor - Felix Aylmer as Mr. Runalow - George Thorpe as Herbert Tisdall - Leslie Henson as Himself - Guy Middleton as Dick Christian - Michael Shepley as Mr. Walford - Edie Martin as Miss Winifred Tisdall - Muriel Aked as Mrs. Tisdall-Stanton - Joyce Grenfell as Sybil Paulson - Everley Gregg as Mrs. Flannel - Jack Watling as Tom - David Keir as Jordan - Aubrey Mallalieu as Toomes - Beatrice Harrison as Herself Runtime: 114 minutes.