Basil Dean Movies
Basil Dean was an actor, playwright, producer and director on the British stage from the age of eighteen. His best known work as a playwright was The Constant Nymph, which would be filmed on three separate occasions, twice by Dean himself. In 1929, Dean journeyed to New York to direct The Return of Sherlock Holmes, which represented the Great Detective's talkie debut. Back in England in 1932, he formed Associated Talking Pictures, an important film factory which later evolved into Ealing Studios (one of his Ealing associates was Basil Dearden, who'd been born Basil Dear but who changed his name so as not to be confused with Dean). By helping to develop such British cinema favorites as George Formby and Gracie Fields, Dean established himself as one of the most commercially successful directors in the business, though the films themselves were not bastions of creativity. During the 1940s, Basil Dean was the prime mover behind Britain's USO-like Entertainment National Service Organization, or ESNA. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1943
Warner Bros.' The Constant Nymph was the third filmization of Margaret Dean's 1924 novel; the first two were filmed in Britain in 1928 and 1933 by producer Michael Balcon. The plot was substantially the same in all three versions: A self-centered European musician (Charles Boyer) is idolized by a young Belgian girl (Joan Fontaine) with a serious heart condition. Though he is fond of the girl, the composer opts for a wealthy marriage to her socialite cousin (Alexis Smith)--and lives to regret the move. Peter Lorre, taking a respite from villainous roles, is quite effective as a philosophical family friend. Composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold's six-minute symphonic tone poem for Constant Nymph was given class-A treatment in a specially recorded RCA Victor orchestration in 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Boyer, Joan Fontaine, (more)
- 1940
The original British title of this wartime musical farce was George Takes The Air. George is George Formby, the toothy little chappy with the ukulele whose films made oodles of money in the 1930s and 1940s. This time, Formby is an 'umble Army private mistaken for a dashing RAF pilot. Had their not been a slapstick airborne finale, audiences might have grown violent. Manning the cameras in It's in the Air was future director Ronald Neame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Formby, Polly Ward, (more)
- 1940
The oft-filmed life of Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is again cinematized in this elaborate but ponderous British production. Stephen Haggard plays Mozart, the former child prodigy who becomes the fair-haired boy of Austria, only to lose it all and die in poverty before his 40th birthday. The screenplay, by Margaret Kennedy (The Constant Nymph), chooses to sidestep the less-savory aspects of Mozart's life and death, choosing to end on a note of triumph as the composer's The Magic Flute temporarily rescues him from bankruptcy. Conspicuous by his absence is the composer Salieri, whose rivalry with Mozart formed the basis of the 1984 Oscar-winner Amadeus. Completed in the late 1930s, Mozart was released in 1940, as the last non-documentary effort by director Basil Dean (whose wife Victoria Hopper appears as Mrs. Mozart). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Laurence Olivier plays a young Londoner implicated in a brutal murder. According to the rules of British law, he is permitted 21 days of comparative freedom from the time of the first hearing to the time of trial -- provided he does not leave London. As the three weeks pass, Olivier falls deeply in love with girlfriend Vivien Leigh, who at first believes in his innocence. But as the deadline approaches, Olivier's mood swings and erratic behavior shakes Leigh's faith in him. Scripted by British suspense expert Graham Greene, 21 Days Together was originally released under the simpler title 21 Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vivien Leigh, Leslie Banks, (more)
- 1938
In this early film from director Sir Carol Reed, Edmund Gwenn stars as Joe Higgins, a hardworking tugboat captain who is ecstatic when he learns that he has won a lucrative soccer pool. To celebrate, Higgins quits his job and invites all his pals to the local tavern for a wingding. But during the party, the validity of the Liverpudlian captain's win comes into question. Star Gwenn would later be remembered by most movie lovers for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Kris Kringle in 1947's Miracle on 34th Street. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1938
Toothy, ukelele-plucking British comedian dominates the proceedings in I See Ice. The nonsensical story concerns the misadventures of a prop man (George Formby) for a travelling ice-skating troupe. Inventing a new sort of candid camera in his spare time, our hero gets into a passel of trouble when he photographs what he shouldn't. Though well directed and exceptionally well cast (Kay Walsh and Cyril Ritchard appear in support), I See Ice wouldn't amount to a hill of beans without the presence of the ebullient Formby, who halts the action every once in a while for one of his unsubtly risque comic songs. Not surprisingly, the film was infinitely more popular as a "regional" than as a big-city attraction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Formby, Kay Walsh, (more)
- 1937
In this comedy, a scrawny barber must compete with a muscle bound thug for the love of a manicurist. Naturally the manicurist is most attracted to the brute until the barber can prove that he is a crook. The two then duke it out in the boxing ring. Later it is the weakling who gets the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1937
The rise of British entertainer Graci Fields from humble mill girl to the most popular and highest paid performer in Great Britain during the Depression era is chronicled in this biographical drama. Fields got her big break when a composer heard her singing in a ramshackle pub. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1937
In this comedy, a bumbling factory worker at a record manufacturing plant accidentally destroys an irreplaceable master disc. The quick thinking fellow switches the broken one with a recording of his own voice. As luck would have it, his song becomes a major hit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Though director Carol Reed seldom included Laburnham Grove on his resumé, he allowed that it was quite successful, and a cut above the minor programmers he was usually assigned in the mid-1930s. Based on a novel by J. B. Priestley, the film stars Edmund Gwenn as Mr. Radfern -- solid citizen by day, counterfeiter by night. Saddled with a pack of tedious in-laws, Radfern decides to dispose of them by handing them a roll of "funny money" and inviting them to shop in town to their heart's content. He then skips town, secure in the knowledge that his unwelcome guests will soon be rounded up by the authorities. Edmund Gwenn would later play a more benign (and less skilled) counterfeiter in the 1950 Hollywood production Mister 880. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmund Gwenn, Cedric Hardwicke, (more)
- 1936
Released in the U.S. as Scotland Yard Commands, The Lonely Road was based on a novel by Nevil Shute (of On the Beach fame). When his marriage proposal is rejected by his sweetheart, retired naval commander Stevenson (Clive Brook) goes on a bender and drives his car wildly along a country road. No, he doesn't hit anyone, but he does plow his way right into a gang of weapons smugglers. Fearing that he'll blow the whistle on them, the crooks knock out Stevenson and arrange the evidence so as to convince him that he suffered his cranial blow in an auto accident. Released from hospital, Stevenson heads to a cabaret, where he makes the acquaintance of dancer Molly Gordon (Victoria Hopper) -- who turns out to be the sister of one of the smugglers. Falling in love with Molly, Stevenson must wrestle with his conscience when afforded the opportunity to turn the crooks over to the authorities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Victoria Hopper, (more)
- 1936
The oft-filmed life of Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is again cinematized in this elaborate but ponderous British production. Stephen Haggard plays Mozart, the former child prodigy who becomes the fair-haired boy of Austria, only to lose it all and die in poverty before his 40th birthday. The screenplay, by Margaret Kennedy (The Constant Nymph), chooses to sidestep the less-savory aspects of Mozart's life and death, choosing to end on a note of triumph as the composer's The Magic Flute temporarily rescues him from bankruptcy. Conspicuous by his absence is the composer Salieri, whose rivalry with Mozart formed the basis of the 1984 Oscar-winner Amadeus. Completed in the late 1930s, Mozart was released in 1940, as the last non-documentary effort by director Basil Dean (whose wife Victoria Hopper appears as Mrs. Mozart). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Haggard, Victoria Hopper, (more)
- 1936
Future Connecticut governor John Lodge stars in the British crime drama Sensation. Lodge plays a hotshot reporter who devotion to his job is messing up his private life. Despite warnings from his girl friend that she'll walk out if he follows up one more hot scoop, Lodge tries to flush out the murderer of a waitress. A packet of incriminating love letters is the "maguffin" in this one. Based on a play by Basil Dean and George Munro, Sensation packs an awful lot of story in its 54 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lodge, Diana Churchill, (more)
- 1936
The Queen of Hearts stars Lancashire's own Gracie Fields as Gracie Perkins, a seamstress who is mistaken for a wealthy patroness of the arts. The fun begins when Gracie is approached to back a new stage show. Hoping to crash society -- or at least land a part in the show herself -- she keeps up her masquerade. To absolutely no one's surprise, she's the hit of the show and as icing on the cake ends up winning the heart of leading man Derek Cooper (John Loder). Queen of Hearts was directed by comedian Monty Banks, who happened to be Gracie Fields' brand-new husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Loder, Enid Stamp Taylor, (more)
- 1936
In this comedy, a young man learns that he is supposed to inherit some valuable jewels and enlists the aid of his shyster lawyer to see that he gets them. The trouble is the stones are tucked away into the lining of one of six antique chairs that have mysteriously vanished. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
The inimitable Gracie Fields illuminates the screen in her sole 1935 vehicle Look Up and Laugh. The Lancashire-born comedienne is cast as Gracie Pearson, one of several clerks in a small-town market. When Gracie and her co-workers are threatened with dismissal by a chain-store takeover, they manage to save their jobs by digging up a Royal Charter, declaring their store an autonomous nation. The film was based on a story by J. B. Priestley, who undoubtedly didn't include Gracie's traditional cheer-up songs in his original synopsis. Billed 15th in Look Up and Laugh is 22-year-old Vivien Leigh, whose third film this was. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gracie Fields, Alfred Drayton, (more)
- 1935
Based upon a famous swashbuckling adventure story by Captain Frederick Marryat, Midshipman Easy is a ripping yarn that served as Carol Reed's solo directorial debut. Jack Easy (16-year-old Hughie Green) signs on for a tour of duty aboard the HMS Harpy, a British ship sailing the Spanish-ridden seas of the eighteenth century. His many adventures in this episodic tale include overpowering a mean-spirited fellow-midshipman; rescuing the Harpy during a particularly nasty storm; intercepting a gold-laden Spanish ship; fighting a duel; capturing the infamous bandit Don Silvio (Dennis Wyndham); and flirting with the exotic Donna Agnes Ribiera (played by young Margaret Lockwood). Midshipman served to bring Reed to the attention of Graham Greene; the two would later collaborate on such films as The Fallen Idol and The Third Man. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1935
A heavy-breathing melodrama of the White Cargo school, Java Head was adapted from the novel by Joseph Hergesheimer. Anna May Wong stars as Tapu Xuen, a Chinese girl who becomes the bride of wealthy Englishman Gerritt Ammiden (John Loder). This mixed marriage earns Ammiden the cold shoulder from his society friends, but he remains faithful to his Chinese bride. Ultimately, however, Ammiden falls in love with one of his "own kind," Nettie Vollar (Elizabeth Allan). Realizing that her husband is too honorable to divorce her in favor of Nettie, Tapu does the "right thing" by considerately committing suicide. An earlier version of Java Head was filmed in 1923 with Leatrice Joy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna May Wong, Elizabeth Allan, (more)
- 1935
No Limit is purely and simply a vehicle for chipmunk-cheeked British comic George Formby. He plays a provincial auto mechanic who dreams of the Main Chance. He gets it when he decides to soup up an old dirt-bike and enter the vehicle in an upcoming championship race. The climactic road sequences were picturesquely filmed on the Isle of Man. Supporting George is Florence Desmond, one of the foremost celebrity impressionists of her time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Formby, Florence Desmond, (more)
- 1934
In this British comedy, a plucky Lancashire millworker is out of a job when her mill is forced to close for the summer. She decides to make the best of it by taking a series of summer jobs in Blackpool that eventually lead her to meet a business magnate. With all her charm, the girl convinces him to invest in the financially strapped mill and the jobs of her colleagues are saved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Set in the mythical kingdom of Ruritania, this romantic comedy centers on an enamored prince who abdicates his position to pursue a sexy showgirl across Europe. The two fall deeply in love and things look great until the Ruritanian king dies and the prince realizes that he is duty-bound to rule his country. The chorine, respects this choice and lets him go. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1934
In this British drama, based on a popular play, a wealthy young Jew goes to a weekend house party and finds himself victimized by anti-Semitic guests. To add insult to injury, his wallet is then stolen. The fellow exposes the pilferer and threatens to take him to court until the other guests, terrified of scandal, offer to make him a member of their exclusive club. It seems, like a good offer until the other members express their racist reservations about his joining. The angered fellow decides to take it to court after all. The distraught thief is found guilty and subsequently suicides. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Rathbone, Heather Thatcher, (more)
- 1934
A man's love for his wife overcomes his hatred for the family that brought her up in this period romantic adventure. Jan Ridd (John Loder) is a farmer in 17th Century England who has sworn to take revenge upon the Doones, an outlaw family who have laid waste to much of the property in his part of the country and were responsible for the death of Ridd's father. Ridd meets a woman named Lorna (Victoria Hopper), and in time they fall in love and marry. However, Ridd learns that Lorna was kidnapped by the Doones as a child and raised among them; she is eventually taken into custody by the Court of St. James in hopes of reforming her from the influence of her delinquent "family," and Ridd must fight to free the woman he loves. This was the second screen adaptation of the novel by R.D. Blackmore, and the first in the sound era; two more films based on Lorna Doone would follow, in 1951 and 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Hopper, John Loder, (more)
- 1933
Previously filmed in 1928, the sentimental Margaret Kennedy novel The Constant Nymph was sumptuously remade by Gaumont Productions in 1933. Victoria Hopper plays the title character, a Belgian gamine named Tessa. The girl falls hopelessly in love with world-famous composer Lewis Dodd (Brian Aherne), who is so full of himself that he barely acknowledges Tessa's existence. As she looks on in quiet desperation, Dodd marries another woman, his distant cousin Florence (Leonora Corbett). It takes him nearly the entire picture to realize what a fool he's been, and that Tessa was the one girl for him all along -- but alas, it's too late. Constant Nymph was remade by Warner Bros. in 1943, at which time all prints of the 1933 version were supposed to be destroyed; happily, they weren't. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Aherne, Victoria Hopper, (more)
- 1933
In this comedy, three Englishmen have many zany adventures while floating down the Thames in a boat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Austin, Edmund Breon, (more)
