A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember

Year: 1953

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Ralph Thomas

RomanceComedy

A light‑hearted comedy that follows a group of London pub regulars on a darts team’s weekend trip to Boulogne. Each man has his own motive for joining the outing, and their differing reasons set off a series of mishaps and off‑beat adventures as they navigate travel and unexpected encounters along the way.

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Timeline & Setting – A Day to Remember (1953)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Day to Remember (1953). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1940s

The events unfold in the postwar era after World War II, when veterans and ordinary Britons take a respite by traveling to continental Europe. The trip blends memories of conflict with ordinary leisure, as the group tries to reconnect with life beyond service. Hidden tensions, romances, and the pull of home highlight the era's mix of reconstruction and lingering longing.

Location

Boulogne-sur-Mer, London

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a historic port town on the English Channel in northern France, known for its seafront promenade and busy harbor. In the story, the group visits Boulogne as their day trip destination, wandering through cafes, florists, and docks that frame their holiday and occasional sparks of romance. London serves as the starting point, with the team gathering at Victoria Station and taking the boat train to Folkestone before crossing to Boulogne.

🏖️ Coastal town 🗼 French port 🎡 Tourism hub

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:22

Main Characters – A Day to Remember (1953)

Meet the key characters of A Day to Remember (1953), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Charley Porter (Stanley Holloway)

A jovial, forward-looking member of the Hand & Flower darts team who keeps morale high and looks forward to meeting French mademoiselles. He often teases Jim about romance but remains a loyal friend, helping the group navigate the trip with easy charm. Charley embodies optimism and sociability, balancing nerves with humor.

🤝 Loyal friend 😄 Light-hearted 🗺️ Adventurous

Jim Carver (Donald Sinden)

A man in a rocky patch with his fiancée back home, seeking something more meaningful than his routine life. He falls for Martine during the trip, reigniting memories from eight years earlier and forcing him to confront his commitments. Jim struggles with love, memory, and the pull between duty and desire.

💔 Romantic 🧭 Conflicted 🚶‍♂️ Reflective

Stan Harvey (Harry Fowler)

A clever, restless member who plans to buy watches in France and smuggle them back into Britain, showing a tendency toward schemes born of postwar scarcity. He keeps the group on edge with his opportunistic mindset, even as he battles the law’s gaze. Stan embodies a mix of mischief and pragmatism.

💼 Schemer 🕵️ Opportunist 🧭 Streetwise

Shorty Sharpe (Bill Owen)

The group’s nicknamed member who grapples with the embarrassment of his nickname and ends up joining the French Foreign Legion after a night of heavy drinking. His impulsive choice serves as a cautionary thread about escapism and pride. Shorty’s actions reveal a longing for significance in a postwar world.

🥃 Drinker 🪖 War veteran 🧭 Impulsive

Percy Goodall (Peter Jones)

The travel agent who organises the day trip, embodying the practical side of planning while occasionally showing homesickness and longing for tea and normalcy. Percy keeps the itinerary moving, but his vulnerabilities surface through the emotional strain of distance from home. He provides connective tissue between the group and the outside world.

📋 Organizer 🥄 Homesick 🧭 Forward-looking

Martine Berthier (Odile Versois)

A local French woman who recognizes Jim and shares a sparking chemistry with him. Engaged to a local lawyer, she is torn between affection and loyalty to her future, complicating Jim’s romance and adding a layer of cultural tension to the story. Martine embodies grace, independence, and the pull of true feeling.

💞 Romantic 🗺️ Culturally torn 🗣️ Open-hearted

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:22

Major Themes – A Day to Remember (1953)

Explore the central themes of A Day to Remember (1953), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕰️ Memory

The trip triggers memories of wartime service and lost comrades, shaping how the travelers view their present freedoms. Characters confront what they left behind and what has changed since the war. Nostalgia functions as both a comfort and a complicating force in their relationships.

💘 Romance

Jim's evolving feelings for Martine clash with his London engagement, exposing questions about fidelity and destiny. Martine herself is torn between love and loyalty to her fiancé in France. The lighthearted holiday gradually becomes a stage for romantic choices with real consequences.

🤝 Camaraderie

The pub darts team dynamic drives the plot, with banter, rivalry, and mutual support shaping the group's experience. Plans to buy watches, a drunken impulse, and a shared homesickness weave a sense of togetherness despite friction. The trip tests loyalty and character under travel-induced pressure.

🗺️ Journey

The voyage from London to Boulogne and the drifting between café, cemetery, and docks frame personal journeys as much as physical ones. The characters confront choices about risk, opportunity, and what it means to step into the unknown. The Channel crossing acts as a turning point that reshapes their paths.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:22

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A Day to Remember Summary

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A Day to Remember Summary

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A Day to Remember Timeline

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