Muriel George Movies
- 1955
Love, marriage and show business provide the basis of this lively comedy that centers on a husband and wife, who are chosen by television producers to embody the perfect married couple on an upcoming television series. The show is to be filmed and broadcast live from the home of Simon and Laura, who on camera are indeed the perfect couple. Unfortunately, the minute the camera is off, the two are going at it hammer and tong. Still, their show is very popular, and many couples look up to them until the ill-fated shooting of a Christmas special in which the couple begin tippling alcoholic beverages during the filming and end up letting their true relationship come out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Finch, Kay Kendall, (more)
Informed that he has only a short time to live, salesman Alec Guinness decides to enjoy his last months to the fullest. He withdraws all his savings from the bank and heads to a posh hotel. Here he makes more contacts and opens more professional doors than he'd ever done before, thanks to his willingness--at long last--to take risks. He also spends every penny that he's earned in life. Then he discovers that the doctor's diagnosis was in error, and that he's in no danger of imminent death. An ironic ending caps this fast-paced black comedy. Last Holiday was co-written and co-produced by J. B. Priestly, author of many other "if I had to do it all over again" pieces, notably An Inspector Calls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beatrice Campbell, Kay Walsh, (more)
- 1949
The Dancing Years was written by British theatrical favorite Ivor Novello, who also penned the songs. Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, the film stars Dennis Price as Rudi Kiebler, the role played by Novello in the original stage version. A struggling young composer, Rudi is elevated to prominence when famed operetta star Maria Ziedler (Giselle Preville) agrees to perform one of his works. Falling in love with Rudi, Maria nonetheless enters into a loveless marriage to a prince (Anthony Nicholls) due to a misunderstanding. The source of this misunderstanding is attractively played by Patricia Dainton. Old-fashioned in the extreme, The Dancing Years is given a fresh coat of paint by the engaging performances of the stars and the sprightly direction by Harold French. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Price, Giselle Preville, (more)
- 1948
This comedy offers yet another version of a popular stage play that chronicles the exploits of a tricky old woman who cheats her landlady out of rent and then masquerades as her wealthy sister in order to reclaim the trunk she left behind. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1947
Years ago a woman discovers that she married a bigamist and gives her baby boy to a couple for adoption. Now she has remarried and wants the baby back. This heart-wrenching drama chronicles her attempts to do so. Unfortunately, the boy loves his adoptive mother, not her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Roc, Rosamund John, (more)
- 1947
Adapted from a play by Daphne Du Maurier, The Years Between stars Valerie Hobson as war widow Diana. Determined to carry on her husband's work, Diana enters the business world, ultimately emerging as a Member of Parliament. On the eve of her second marriage, Diana's first husband Michael (Michael Redgrave) returns, proving beyond doubt that reports of his death were slightly exaggerated. The fact that Michael is irascible and unsympathetic enables the audience to remain firmly on Diana's side as she struggles with her dire dilemma. Ironically, in real life Valerie Hobson was married to British Cabinet member John Profumo, remaining steadfastly by his side when his political career was ruined by the 1963 Christine Keeler sex scandal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Redgrave, Valerie Hobson, (more)
- 1945
When blind veteran Whiley realizes that the love of his life, Brook, is in love with Griffith, Whiley bows out gracefully in this musical. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1945
A couple's wartime separation provides an unexpected tonic for their romance in this drama. Robert and Catherine Wilson (Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr) are a married couple whose relationship has hit a dry patch; neither of them have much enthusiasm for each other, and when Robert is drafted into the Royal Navy during the war, they almost welcome the separation. Life in the Navy gives Robert a more easygoing outlook on life, especially after he has a brief fling with Elena (Anne Todd), a nurse who recently lost her husband. On the home front, Catherine makes friends with Dizzy (Glynis Johns), a free spirit who encourages her to smoke, wear makeup, and enjoy a dalliance of her own with a man named Richard (Roland Culver). After the end of the war, Robert and Catherine both dread their reunion, but each find that they're pleasantly surprised with the changes that time has brought to their mate. Perfect Strangers was also released under the highly appropriate title Vacation from Marriage. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Donat, Deborah Kerr, (more)
- 1945
Australian-born comic actor Vic Oliver was usually at his best on-screen when teamed with an unusually talented leading lady. Oliver's vis-a-vis in the British I'll be Your Sweetheart was film favorite Margaret Lockwood. Set in the early 1900s, the film concerns the trials and tribulations of musical-hall diva Edie Story (Lockwood), whose happy-go-lucky partner is one Sam Kahn (Oliver). Halfway through the film, Kahn is shunted to the background when Edie falls in love with aspiring songwriter Bob Fielding, played by up-and-coming Michael Rennie. The outcome of the plot is predicated on a Parliamentary decision which rescued songwriters from being gypped out of their royalties by unscrupulous "pirate" publishers, which happens more than once in the early reels to the luckless Fielding. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lockwood, Vic Oliver, (more)
- 1944
In this romance, a young woman gets into a real mess when her mother begins meddling in her romantic life by conning her into becoming engaged to her boss. Unfortunately, the girl loves another who has gone off to fight the war. Upon his return, he is enraged to learn about the engagement. Mayhem ensues until the whole mess is straightened out and the lovers are reunited. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1943
The British Alibi is based on the warhorse story by Marcel Archard, previously filmed in France in 1931. Raymond Lovell steps into the old Erich Von Stroheim role as Professor Winkler, a phony mystic playing to capacity crowds in Paris. Confronting a man who'd previously exposed him as a fraud in the US, Winkler kills the man. He then establishes an alibi by paying nightclub hostess Helene (Margaret Lockwood) to tell the police that she was in his company at the time of the murder. The upshot of this is that Helene herself is accused of the crime. Hoping to get to the truth of the matter, Inspector Calas (Hugh Sinclair) asks his deputy Andre Laurent (James Mason) to pretend to be in love with Helene. The plot thickens when Laurent genuinely falls for the distressed damsel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lockwood, Hugh Sinclair, (more)
- 1943
The Bells Go Down is a dramatization of London firefighting efforts during the 1940 Blitz. In structure, the film is very much like any other smoke-eating melodrama, with perhaps more emphasis on comedy than usual. The omnipresence of the Luftwaffe gives the film an urgency that others in its genre tend to lack. Making it all the more remarkable is the fact that most British studios were just as vulnerable as London's burned-down landmarks--a fact not lost on the actors, who perform with heightened credibility. Many of the better composed shots in The Bells Go Down would find their way into TV documentaries of the 1950s and 1960s as "reality" footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Trinder, James Mason, (more)
- 1943
Released in the US as The Randolph Family, Dear Octopus was based on the internationally popular play by Dodie Smith. The story is motivated by the Golden Wedding anniversary of Charles and Dora Randolph (Frederick Leister, Helen Haye). As the relatives gather, each reveals his or her personal quirks and shortcomings. Caught in the middle is family secretary Penny Fenton (Margaret Lockwood), who has the unenviable task of sorting and smoothing out the family's many deep-set hostilities and jealousies so that a good time will be had by all. The basic premise of Dear Octopus is established early on; the rest of the film is variations on a single theme, albeit consistently amusing ones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding, Sr., (more)
- 1942
Released worldwide by 20th Century Fox, Carol Reed's The Young Mr. Pitt is a static but sincere filmed biography of 19th century British prime minister William Pitt Jr., here played by Robert Donat. Appointed to his office at the tender age of 24, Mr. Pitt spends most of his time in Parliament alerting his countrymen of the dangers posed by France's Emperor Napoleon (Herbert Lom, in his first English-speaking role). The Frank Launder-Sidney Gilliat screenplay works overtime drawing parallels between the Pitt-Napoleon conflict and the present crisis involving Great Britain and Nazi Germany. Various historical personages are impersonated by the likes of Phyllis Calvert, John Mills, and Robert Morley, with Morley stealing the show hands down. Like its thematic "twin" Penn of Pennsylvania, Young Mr. Pitt is lavishly produced, but suffers from pedantic speechifying and substandard special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Donat, Robert Morley, (more)
Bob Randall (Richard Greene) is a reporter who gets to witness first-hand the British retreat from Dunkirk in May of 1940. He returns to his job in a London now facing nightly German bombing raids, and finds himself saddled with Carol Bennett (Valerie Hobson), a neophyte reporter. Bob is eager to take on the Nazis and, in the absence of any on the ground that he can fight, he turns to the leaders of a pacifist movement, The People for Peace. But no sooner does he start to look into who they are than he finds himself being shadowed by mysterious men and stirring up a hornet's nest of activity in his wake. While Carol tries to keep up and do her bit, and Bob tries to look out for her and find out just what he's stepped into -- which soon involves kidnappings and murder -- the German bombers keep coming and the newspaper's survival is threatened. Bob and Carol are drawn together romantically in the midst of these overlapping crises, and manage to find some time for each other while helping their long-suffering editor (Brefni O'Rourke) save the newspaper and the British secret service save the country. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, (more)
- 1942
Released in the US as Forty-Eight Hours, Went the Day Well? is a solidly constructed wartime melodrama. Actually, the film covers 72 hours in the life of the small British village of Bramley Green, which serves as the focal point for an attempted German invasion. Immediately upon parachuting in the community, vicious Nazi officer Ortier (Basil Sydney) makes contact with local Fifth Columnist Oliver Wileford (Leslie Banks), using the film's British title as their password. Fortunately, Democracy is preserved when postmistress-telephone operator Mrs. Collins (Muriel George), picking up on a simple clue inadvertently left behind by the well-disguised Germans, alerts her neighbors of impending danger. The British home guardsmen and German soldiers seen in the film were drawn from the ranks of of the real-life Gloucestershire Regiment, who volunteered their services for this patriotic morale-booster. The episode screenplay of Went the Day Well (based on Graham Greene story) was unified by the direct-to-camera narration of the town gravedigger, a device deftly borrowed from Our Town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Banks, Basil Sydney, (more)
- 1941
In this comedy of mistaken identity, an amiable fellow decides to help out his singing South American look-a-like who must fulfill a few obligations for his opera company. Mayhem ensues when the bogus singer finds himself pursued by paid assassins. Fortunately, the whole mess is straightened out in the end and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1941
Wings and the Woman was a reverent (read: dull) British biopic about pioneer aviatrix Amy Johnson. Anna Neagle portrays Amy, whose fame in the 1930s is such that songs are written about her and a worldwide fan club is organized. See RKO Book. Ms. Johnson's fame exacts a toll on her marriage to pilot Jim Mollison (Robert Newton), a daredevil in his own right who chafes at being overshadowed by his wife (the film is careful not cast Mollison in an envious light). The film ends with Amy's death while transporting a fighter plane from a defense factory to an RAF field, a tragedy which gives producer/director Herbert Wilcox ample opportunities to wave the Union Jack. Released in Great Britain as They Flew Alone, Wings and the Women was heavily edited by its American distributor RKO, with some dialogue sequences ending in mid-sentence! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1941
You Will Remember is based on the life of popular English composer Leslie Stuart (born Thomas Barrett in 1864), here played by Robert Morley. The film traces Stuart's rise to fame after the publication of his first song, follows him through his glory days in the early 1900s, then recounts his fall from grace and his comeback in the British music halls of the 1920s, shortly before his death. In true Hollywood "inventory" fashion, Stuart's hit tunes are duly cataloged and performed, including "Tell Me Pretty Maiden", "Floradora", "Sue", "Lily of Laguna" and "Dolly Daydream". Emlyn Williams fills the standard "best friend-severest critic" slot as Stuart's longtime associate Bob Slater, while Tom Finglass portrays tenor Eugene Stratton, who rose to popularity through his heartfelt performances of Stuart's melodies. Jack Raymond's perfunctory direction does not alway do full justice to his subject. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emlyn Williams, Dorothy Hyson, (more)
- 1941
In this WW II propaganda film, a German doctor, highly praised by his Nazi employers, finds it increasingly difficult to support the oppressive, increasingly brutal movement. At first he does nothing as his friends are persecuted and his wife becomes increasingly enamored with the party's misguided philosophies. Eventually he enlists the aide of an engineer and creates a secret radio station where he broadcasts condemnations of Hitler and prays for a "better" Germany to arise out of the ashes of his ruined country. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, (more)
Filmed in the North Country of England, this is a film noir set in the 1930s as a family struggles with poverty and unemployment. Depressing and realistic, it portrays the lengths to which a family can go in order to survive., though there is some humor interlaced to keep the bleakness under control. The beautiful, sepia-tinted photography enhances the portrayals, which are excellent. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Kerr, Clifford Evans, (more)
- 1941
Cottage to Let is a taut British wartime spy thriller, laced with moments of genuinely hilarious comedy. The "maguffin" in this instance is a revolutionary new bombsight, designed by inventor John Barrington (Leslie Banks). A group of Nazi spies intend to steal the blueprints for the invention (hence the film's alternate title Bombsight Stolen), and to that end dispatch one of their top agents (John Mills), who parachutes into the story posing as wounded RAF pilot Lt. Perry. Hailed as a war hero by the gullible locals, Perry rents a cottage from the unsuspecting Barrington and his wife (Jeanne de Casalis). The treacherous Nazi meets his match in the unlikely form of oafish Charles Dimble (Alastair Sim), who turns out to be a British undercover agent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Banks, Jeanne de Casalis, (more)
- 1941
The old reliable plot device known as premarital hanky-panky was the basis of the Esther McCracken stage play Quiet Wedding. The film version, scripted by Terence Rattigan and Anton de Grunewald, tones down some of the more censorable elements of the play, though not enough to completely mollify American censors. Margaret Lockwood stars as bride-to-be Janet Royd, who is driven crazy by the well-meaning interference of friends and family in the hours prior to her wedding. Sensing that she'll never have a moment alone with her fiance Dallas Chaytor (Derek Farr) even after they're married. Janet agrees to slip away with Dallas the night before the Big Event for a few hours of uninterrupted bliss. Nothing much really happens, at least not on screen, but the censors weren't able to blot out the gleam in the groom's eye-or the bride's, for that matter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr, (more)
- 1940
In this wartime comedy, a garage owner, and his pal, a ventriloquist enlist and head for France where they are soon captured by the Nazis. Fortunately, the ventriloquist throws his voice, and they manage to escape. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1940
In this family drama a crippled young man is arrested and accused of robbery. His father, a lawyer's clerk, must now defend his son. To do so, he learns the ins and outs of legal counsel. He ends up saving his son and finding the real thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
