Gary is a racehorse owner. After he loses money at the races, his fiancee Weanda jilts him and marries Lord Willis Panniford, whose sister Molly trains Gary's horses. Whilst drowning his sorrows, the racehorse owner becomes involved in a big-race scandal. The plot is to steal his own prize horse before a race, therefore increasing the odds in another big race, the Ascot Gold Cup. Stewards run an inquiry into the running of Garry's horse. Wanda is called as a witness. She denies that Garry's first telegram telling her not to back his horse was cancelled by another message from him before the race took place. Molly knows that Garry stopped dishonest running plan. She gets Garry's second note to Wenda and shows it to the stewards just before running of Gold Cup race. Garry is cleared of charge.
The Calendar had been a popular novel and play, and filmed in 1931. Sydney Box decided to film it again as part of his slate of movies at Gainsborough Studios. In June 1947 Gainsborough announced that the film would feature the comedy team of Basil Radford and Nauton Wayne. Neither appear in the final movie. ThBe film was to be one of two movies about horse racing made by Gainsborough the other being Becher's Brook. The films were meant to be directed by Maurice Elvey but he was fired by Gainsborough's head f production Sydney Box and replaced by Arthur Crabtree. It was an early lead role for Australian actor John McCallum who had been in The Loves of Joanna Godden. Filming took place in October 1947. It was mostly shot at Shepherd's Bush studios in London. There was location filming at Ascot and Hurst Park. It was the first time royal permission was given to film on the royal course.
Reception
Critical reception
Britmovie called the film a "tepid melodrama"; while David Parkinson, in the Radio Times, wrote, "British cinema was heavily dependent on the mysteries of Edgar Wallace in the early talkie era. Few of these creaky thrillers were ever remade, until someone at Gainsborough Productions felt the need to bring this veritable stage warhorse under starter's orders for a second time. It's all clipped accents and impossibly earnest hamming from the off...fans of Dick Francis may find it amusing."
