Don't Ever Leave Me
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Don't Ever Leave Me is a 1949 English romantic comedy film starring Petula Clark, Jimmy Hanley, Hugh Sinclair, Edward Rigby, and Anthony Newley. Produced by Betty Box during her stint at Gainsborough Pictures, it was written by Robert Westerby and directed by Arthur Crabtree.
The plot, a variation on The Ransom of Red Chief, revolves around Sheila Farlaine (Clark), the teenaged daughter of Shakespearean tragedian Michael Farlaine (Sinclair), who is kidnapped by elderly crook Harry Denton (Rigby) when it's suggested he no longer has what it takes to be a master criminal. When Harry starts having second thoughts, Sheila - tired of playing second fiddle to her egotistical father's career - becomes the mastermind of the plot and resists every effort made by Harry's grandson Jack (Hanley) to return her home before she's discovered missing. Newley is Sheila's boyfriend Jimmy, a potential juvenile delinquent and general nuisance to one and all.
Taking advantage of Clark's vocal abilities, screenwriter Westerby included two scenes in which she sang the tune "It's Not for the Want of Trying" by songwriters Jack Fishman and Peter Hart.
The film, Clark's twelfth, allowed her to play a role more mature than she had in previous outings, and was both a critical and commercial success.
