make after quartet be and trio continue the quality of the early film version of the short story by maugham . here the three story be the verger and mr. know it all and and sanitorium . the first two be comic ( the verger be like a prolonged joke and but one with a good pay off ) and and the last more serious ( a health issue be involve ) . again the author introduce the film and the story . james hayter and soon to have his signature role a samuel pickwick and be the hero in the verger . he hold this small custodial type job in a church and but the new vicar ( michael hordern ) be an intellectual snob . when he hear hayter have no schooling he fire him . hayter have save some money and so he tell his wife ( kathleen harrison ) he fancy buy a small news and tobacco shop . he have a good eye and and his store thrives . soon he have a whole chain of store . when his grandchild be christen by hordern and the latter be amaze to see how prosperous his ex verger . the payoff be when bank manager felix aylmer meet with hayter about diversify his investment . i will leave it to you to hear the unintentional but ironic coda of the meeting . accord to maugham he meet a man like max kelada ( nigel patrick ) on a cruise . in mr. know it all kelada be a splashy and friendly and and slightly overbear type from the middle east who be on a business trip ( regard jewelry ) by steamship . his state room mate be mr. grey ( the ever quiet and proper wilfred hyde white ) who be somewhat and silently disapprove of max . max like to enliven thing and and soon be heavily involve in the ship entertainment . at this point the story actually resemble part of the plot of the non maugham story and film china sea ( 1935 ) and a max make a bet that he can tell a real piece of jewelry from a fake ( after insist that a piece of jewelry he spot be real ) . i would not describe the way max rise to the occasion . sanitorium be the long segment . roland culver play ashenden ( the fictional alter ego of maugham a writer and one time spy a in hitchcock the secret agent ) . here he have to use a sanitorium for a couple of month for his health . he find a remarkable crew of people and include jean simmons a a frail but beautiful young woman and finlay currie a an irascible scotsman and john laurie a a second irascible scotsman who be at war with currie and raymond huntley a a quiet patient who only show his internal anger at his situation when his wife show up and and michael rennie a a young man who have a serious life threaten illness . culver watch a three story among these character play out to their conclusion . the last and deal with simmons and rennie and be ironic but deeply move . it be a dandy follow up to the early quartet and and well worth watch .