Dir: Sidney Gillian, Frank Launder | UK War Drama
A good-humoured exhortation to women of Britain that working in a headscarf and factory overalls was just as important to winning the war as serving in uniform, whose expressive use of Beethoven on the soundtrack once more demonstrated the British capacity for magnanimity even in time of war.
Gilliatt & Launder’s first venture into direction proved the only occasion on which they actually stood side by side on the set to give instructions; a practice that proved unwieldy so they subsequently took it in turns in all their later films (Launder, for example directed the St Trinian’s films).
Several of those involved were already well established with Launder & Gilliat at Gainsborough – including the cameraman, producer & editor of ‘Oh! Mr Porter’ – with the supporting cast including Gainsborough veterans Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as Charters & Caldecott in uniform and Moore Marriott as Patricia Roc’s father who joins the Home Guard. @RichardChatten
TALKING PICTURES UK