Something Always Happens

Something Always Happens is a 1934 British film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie.

Plot

Peter Middleton is an unemployed car salesman. He maintains his optimism and refuses the charity offered by his friends, saying that having no money would force him to go to work. He meets up with street urchin Billy, and together they find a room for the night. Peter has no money, but offers to pay Mrs. Badger, the landlady, tomorrow, to which she makes an exception in his case. While out trying to buy a car to sell, he meets Cynthia Hatch, and he takes her out to a restaurant, where she is known to the staff. She asks them to pretend to not know her, to play a trick on Peter. Unbeknownst to Peter, she is the daughter of the head of a petrol company, and when he says that he has a plan to make petrol stations more attractive to customers by including roadhouses, she suggests that he go to see Mr. Hatch about a job. Peter asks for change, and when the bill comes, he solves his pecuniary problem by paying it with the same money. The following day Peter takes her advice and goes to see Mr. Hatch, but Mr. Hatch turns him down, so he goes to see a rival company, which hires him. Meanwhile, Billy helps the landlady with the chores.

Peter makes the company a success, much to the chagrin of Mr. Hatch, who had been hoping to buy the company. Peter hires Cynthia as a secretary, still unaware of her true identity. Billy also joins the company. When Peter learns that a bypass is going to be built, he plans to buy lots along the route before Hatch hears about it. However, George Hamlin, a fellow car salesman, betrays the plan to Hatch, who proceeds to outbid Peter's company. After Peter receives the bad news, he sees Cynthia with Hatch outside the window, and thinks that Cynthia betrayed him. When he confronts her, she reveals that she and Hatch were together because he is her father. After she leaves, Peter then learns that the bypass will not be built for another fifteen years. Assured of the last laugh, when Hatch decides to sell his holdings in town, Peter accepts the offer. After the sale, Hatch then learns of the delay, and realizes he has been a fool. Peter is then reconciled with Cynthia.

Cast

• Ian Hunter as Peter Middleton
• Nancy O'Neil as Cynthia Hatch
• John Singer as Billy
• Peter Gawthorne as Mr. Hatch
• Muriel George as Mrs. Badger
• Barry Livesey as George Hamlin

External links

• Something Always Happens at the Internet Movie Database
• Something Always Happens at allmovie
• Something Always Happens at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Something Always Happens reviews and articles at the Powell & Pressburger Pages