I was about to suggest that this was the kind of film only the British could make - until I remembered that the writer, William Rose, to whose script the picture's success owed so much, was an American. Nevertheless, in spirit, performance and execution Genevieve is essentially British or even, to narrow it down further, English. The charming middle-class manners (e.g. the scene when John Gregson nearly ruins his chances in the race by courteously allowing an enthusiastic old gent to bend his ear) are English; so are the breezy cheerfulness, the laconic understatement and the appealing lightness with which the whole question of sex is touched upon and, having been touched upon, is put very properly to one side. Naturally these two couples (Gregson and Dinah Sheridan, Kenneth More and Kay Kendall) are sexually interested in each other but, come, come, let's not dwell on it.

The story is sheer simplicity: two vintage car buffs, driving a 1904 Darracq (the eponymous Genevieve) and a 1904 Spyker and accompanied by their respective girlfriends, take part in the annual London to Brighton rally and then challenge each other to a race back to the capital, the prize being Genevieve herself. What transforms this from merely a likeable romp to an enduringly loveable comedy is the mysterious chemistry that sometimes occurs on movie sets and makes everything blend perfectly. The script is droll and witty; the pace, building up from a leisurely start, just right; and the performances, especially that of the trumpet-playing Kendall, are all that one could ask.

Kendall, a delicious light comedienne, seemed to have the potential for international stardom and might well have achieved it had not leukaemia caused her tragically early death at the age of 33 in I959. (Note: the music - a harmonica score composed and played by Larry Adler - was nominated for an Oscar. But because Adler was persona non grata with the House of Un-American Activities Committee, the nomination was credited to - though never claimed by - Muir Mathieson. Academy records have since been changed to give Adler his due recognition.)