Great Day

The ladies of the English village of Denley are called to a meeting. Eleanor Roosevelt is coming for a secret visit. Everybody is excited to prepare for the privilege. The Ellis family has their internal dramas.

This was released in London on April 13 1945 and after the war in the States. President Roosevelt happened to die on April 12, 1945. It must have been quite a dark emotional premier if they even had one. I can also see why this was a box office failure. As a movie, this drama is a bit of Our Town at war. The small town affair doesn't mean a whole lot to me, but there are interesting war discussions. It's British. It's based on a play. It failed.

"Great Day" couldn't be described as a great film by any stretch but it has enough of the incidental pleasures present in so many English movies (for me anyway) to be worth seeing.

First of all Eric Portman is outstanding as the pathetic WW1 Captain whose time has passed. He reminded me a little of David Niven in "Separate Tables". Flora Robson as his supportive wife is also excellent, no surprises there. It struck me looking at the familiar faces in the cast that so many of these actors always seem to have been middle-aged, was there a young Irene Handl or John Laurie, was there ever a teenage Kathleen Harrison, Marjorie Rhodes or Patricia Hayes? I can't recall them.

While it's fascinating to see the Women's Institute in action in Village England "Great Day" is very studio-bound with too obvious back-projection and the dialogue tends to the stilted. (I did like one line about a dinner invitation "Kill the fatted spam") And was Britain always drenched in sunshine?

"Great Day" is well worth one look.

From the title, and from the brief plot summary, you might expect this to be another wartime morale booster. If it is, it is a strange one indeed.

The story is set in an English village preparing for a visit from Eleanor Roosevelt. So you might expect a celebratory story about a hard pressed but noble people. If so, you would be wrong.

Far from being noble, some of the village women are petty, gossipy, and borderline vicious. Many of course are not, but they are portrayed as normal, not noble. The story centers on the Ellis family, who have apparently moved to the village after failing elsewhere. The father, John Ellis (quite effectively portrayed by Eric Portman) is a failure in life, hanging on to his one moment of glory as an Army Captain in World War I. His wife, Flora Robson in another great performance, is long-suffering and supportive, and our hearts go out to her. Their daughter, Shelia Sim, must choose between two men: one an exciting young man her age and an older but settled man. What makes the decision difficult for her is that she has had too much of going without or just barely getting by so that she is strongly drawn security offered by the older man.

I find the remark of another viewer about obvious sets odd. Though there are some scenes like this, I found the black and white outdoor scenes quite impressive and striking. Even some scenes, such as two men talking in a field, that could have been filmed on a set were actually filmed outdoors. I was especially struck by the scenes where the father wanders the country at night, emotionally if not physically lost, while his daughter searches for him.

The movie does end on a triumphant note with Mrs. Roosevelt's visit, but if you want to see this as propaganda I guess the message would be that even these flawed people are worthwhile. For me this film was a well made, well written, well acted, interesting and moving character study.

Curious title for this film.

From 1945, the film takes place in an English village, Denley, where it is announced that Eleanor Roosevelt will be visiting the next day. She will be observing wartime efforts by the Women's Institute, a program that prepares and sends products to the troops.

The focus is on one family, the Ellis'. The matriarch, Liz (Flora Robson) is a valuable program member. Her husband, Captain Ellis (Eric Portman) is a veteran living in his past glory and spending money they don't have on liquor. Liz has cut off his credit at the local pub so he spends time borrowing or cadging drinks.

Their daughter, Margaret, is planning to marry an older landlord but is really in love with a soldier (Philip Friend). She wants security. Philip's sister is nasty and bitter, opposed to the engagement.

In the midst of the preparations, Captain Ellis is arrested for trying to steal money.

While the film does show the excitement and preparations for Mrs. Roosevelt's arrival, it seems really to be the story of the dysfunction in the Ellis household. This is perhaps an attempt to show, through Liz Ellis, the coping mechanisms and hard work of the village women.

Liz consoles her daughter and is strong for her husband. All the while, she works for the program and makes a new dress for the child who will present flowers to Mrs. Roosevelt. Robson gives a wonderful performance, and Portman is wonderful as a disillusioned soldier who feels the world has left him behind.

The final scene is lovely and uplifting. The film is dedicated to the Women's Institute.

Some trivia: Sheila Sim, the pretty ingenue, was married to Sir Richard Attenborough for 69 years and distinguished herself in several films. Sadly, part of their family was lost in the tsunami that hit Thailand.

Gosh, what an odd view the other reviews paint of this film's setting! The Women's Institute was a significant voluntary organisation during WW2. This film is one of many paying a tribute to that organisation - a recognition of their contribution to the war effort. Like other films of this type, e.g. Fires Were Started, they'd be a bit dull if they didn't include some human interest - and that is where most of the plot is driven - in particular with respect to the Ellis family.

The casting is interesting. The year before the fantastic A Canterbury Tale - a Powell and Pressburger gem - came out. The stars of this brilliant film were - Eric Portman and Sheila Sim - Captain and Miss Ellis in Great Day. The chemistry between the two in ACT was, I'm sure, what got them into Great Day. Even Miss Sim's (later Lady Attenborough, by the way) clothes were carried over - it seems!