百万英镑的英文简介

百万英镑的英文简介

In 1903, American seaman Henry Adams (Gregory Peck) is stranded penniless in England and gets caught up in an unusual wager between two wealthy, eccentric b rothers, Oliver (Ronald Squire) and Roderick Montpelier (Wilfrid Hyde-White). They persuade the Bank of England to issue a one million pound banknote, which they present to Adams in an envelope (only telling him that it contains some money). T he reason for this is that Oliver believes that the mere existence of the note will e nable the possessor to obtain whatever he needs, while Roderick contends that it would actually have to be spent for it to be of any use. Once Adams gets over th e shock of discovering how much the note is worth, he tries to return it to the brot hers, but is told that they have left for a month. He then finds a letter in the envel ope, explaining the wager and promising him a job if he can avoid spending the n ote for the month. At first, everything goes as Oliver had predicted. Adams is mist aken for an eccentric millionaire and has no trouble getting food, clothes and a hot el suite on credit, just by showing his note. The story of the note is reported in th e newspapers. Adams is welcomed into exclusive social circles, meeting the Americ an ambassador and English aristocracy. He becomes very friendly with Portia Lans downe (Jane Griffiths), the niece of the Duchess of Cromarty. Then, fellow America n Lloyd Hastings (Hartley Power) asks him to back a business venture. Hastings te lls Adams that he does not have to put up any money himself; the mere associati on will allow Hastings to raise the money he needs to start up a gold mine by sell ing shares. Trouble arises when the Duke of Frognal (A. E. Matthews), who had b een unceremoniously evicted from the suite Adams now occupies, hides the note a s a joke. When Adams is unable to produce the note, panic breaks out amongst t he shareholders and Adams' creditors. Fortunately, all is straightened out in the en d, and Adams is able to return the note to the Montpelier brothers at the end of t he month.