This is a modern or modernish true to life fairy story where everyone lives happily ever after. No magic is needed, there's no fairy godmothers or witches with special potions, all that's needed is optimism, the optimism of ordinary people.
This tale of unbridled optimism was just what the doctor ordered when JB Priestley wrote it in 1929 and when it was subsequently filmed during the depths of the Great Depression. People knew that things were probably going to get worse before they got better and that nobody was coming along with a bag of magic beans for them. This film was the equivalent to a self-help book with the slightly radical message: follow your dreams and hope for the best! A far cry from the more established: 'know your place, keep your head down, listen to your betters and do what you've always been doing' kind of advice; so much so that in later years JBP got on MI5's 'persons of interest' list.
The other strong message in this film is to have faith in each other. The vast, vast majority of people in the world are nice and that's reflected in this where indeed everyone in it is nice. Put your cynicism to one side and accept that there are no nasty, vindictive or selfish people - even the lorry thieves are fairly pleasant! The other big message is that everyone, irrespective of which class they're from, are all equal and can all get on together as good companions. It's a lovely idea and although a little naïve, as you see the troop bonding together, you do begin to feel their sense of joy and optimism, you will find yourself smiling.
But we're not living through the economic Depression now (!?) and all social classes are treated and respected equally now (!?) so why bother watching this?
OK, it's not one of the greats and it's not what you could call thrilling, exciting or even emotionally gripping but it is quite fun. It's a charming, entertaining and heart-warming story with characters you will care about.
It's also fascinating to see how the country looked ninety years ago. There's so much to see on the streets - even the old adverts - who knew for example that OXO used to make chocolate!!!
It's also fascinating to see or rather to hear how we spoke ninety years ago - Jessie Matthews is not meant to be particularly posh but she does seem to have the same accent as the late Queen! Despite having what sounds to us now a comically bizarre and affected accent (which at the time must have been considered normal) it's not just because she is so incredibly pretty, she has a genuine likeability which instantly captivates you. Like Joan Blondell on the other side of the water, she has that rarest of natural gifts, one which she doesn't seem to have to work at: star quality. Although she is only one of this film's several lead-parts, she is one of the chief reasons to watch it, simply because she is just so adorable.
This film was made by Victor Saville so you can be assured that it's a well-made motion picture with realistic acting and his trademark attention to detail. It's not fast moving but that gentle pace is deliberate to allow you to get to know this charming bunch of run-aways and dreamers. It's hard to categorize this one: it's not a straight drama - maybe a whimsical drama? It's not a musical but there are a few songs in it (none of which you will want to remember though). It's not a comedy but there's some great banter and some quite subtle examples of English humour hidden in the script. "I've always dreamed of going down south, somewhere like...Bedfordshire!" that made me laugh. There are just a couple of things which could have been improved: one is that the inexplicably famous (not funny, just irritating) comedian Max Miller makes a small cameo - fortunately only for a couple of minutes. The other negative, which might sound sacrilegious is that Jessie Matthews does sing a little (her acting is brilliant, her dancing is beyond sensual but her singing, the thing which actually made her famous, is what some people might call in 'a style that's no longer in fashion' or what I'd call painful to listen to). If you watch this however the sheer delightful magic of this film and the fizzy and fuzzy warmth of Jessie Matthews will make you so enamoured with her that you honestly wouldn't mind if she asked if she could scream a high pitched note at 130dB direct into your ear.
