Brenda Bruce Movies

Herbert Lom deservedly receives star billing in the British farce School for Brides. Lom plays Ford, the crafty butler of businessman Dick Lawson (Hugh McDermott). When Lawson makes a trip to Paris, Ford pulls strings to place both his master and his master's wife (Brenda Bruce) in compromising situations. He then inaugurates a blackmail plot, which in addition to being the cause of his ultimate undoing is good for several laughs. Originally released in England as Two on the Tiles, School for Brides gives evidence of being completed some time before its official 1950 British release date. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The action in the British Marry Me! centers around a marriage bureau. Utilizing the "omnibus" approach made popular by such films as Quartet, director Terence Fisher relates the stories of four separate marriage-bound couples. The cast (including Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, Patrick Holt, Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson, Zena Marshall, Guy Middleton and Nora Swinburne) is quite appealing, and the production values are of the highest caliber. It would have been nice, though, to spend more time getting to know the individuals involved in the four playlets. Marry Me! is not a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anna Neagle plays a patriotic young British girl who joins the WRENS when war breaks out. She marries Michael Wilding, the son of an nobleman. Neagle is shipped off to Singapore and is presumed killed in action. Wilding's grief is assuaged when he meets American WAVE Frances Mercer. He remarries, and the couple have a child. But Neagle is not dead, merely marooned on a desert island. Upon returning to civilization, Neagle glimpses her husband and his new family, tearfully realizes that there's no place for her in his new life, and is promptly blown to bits in an air raid. A weeper deluxe, Piccadilly Incident was an unusually morose effort for Anna Neagle and her producer-husband Herbert Wilcox. Casting notes: Michael Wilding was third choice for the leading man after Rex Harrison and John Mills, while Frances Mercer was a last-minute replacement for Marsha Hunt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Anthony Asquith's first postwar effort, While the Sun Shines was based on a play by frequent Asquith collaborator Terence Rattigan. Set in WW2 London, the story revolves around Lady Elizabeth Randall (Barbara White), who is serving her country as an Air Force corporal. While en route to her marriage to the Earl of Harpenden (Ronald Howard, in his screen debut), Lady Elizabeth is wooed a French expatriate named Colbert (Michael Allen) and American lieutenant Joe Mulvaney (the inevitable Bonar Colleano). The resulting series of sexual misunderstandings puts Lady Elizabeth's military career-not to mention her impending marriage-in dire jeopardy. A harmless romantic farce, While the Sun Shines is generally out of favor with Anthony Asquith's many adherents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

If nothing else, the British melodrama Night Boat to Dublin had topicality going for it. As Captain David Grant, Robert Newton heads the cast of this spy-hunt caper. The plot concerns the efforts to rescue a Swedish scientist from the clutches of Nazi ringleader Keitel (Herbert Lom) and his minions. The scientist is of course of the "atomic" variety, meaning that it's crucial to smuggle him to safety before the Germans can learn his secrets. The authentic Dublin dialects heard throughout the film add charm and authenticity to the proceedings, though they are a bit hard to understand at times. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This drama was faithfully adapted from a popular play and features many of the original actors. It is the story of how a carefully selected group of people prepare to live in the "ideal" city, a place totally different from the cities they are used to. As they get ready, each one presents his or her thoughts about the upcoming adventure; they also discuss their most beloved ideals. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide