Old Bill and Son

Filmed during WW11 when Germany had the initiative and was invading Russia, a number of the actors (apart from John Mills) were familiar to me.There was Renee Houston a music hall artiste (Gloria in "A Girl Must Live 1939), Renee Ray ,"Miss Fulham" a bathing beauty queen who renounces her chance of competing in "Bank Holiday" (1938), Gus McNaughton a newspaper editor in "Storm in a teacup" (1937), Roland Culver a well known character actor in "The Moon's a Balloon" (1940)and many other titles and finally Ronald Shiner "Dry Rot" (1951).

We had to raise the nation's morale in 1941 (the year H.M.S.Hood was sunk by "Bismark" and this film (based on a WW1 cartoon)is where the entire family and friends of John Mills enter the army and most magically are all posted together to France.This was helpful for filming as it is mostly a studio bound production with little or no expensive location shots or big stars salaries to pay.Obviously a propaganda film produced to raise the nation's morale but it was mildly entertaining so I rated it 6/10.

Unlike the other "reviewer" i have had the opportunity of seeing this film.It is of course based on the cartoon characters of Bruce Bairnsfather of Tommie's in the First World War.There was a Warner Brothers silent film "The Better Ole" produced by Warner Brothers in 1926.This film updates the story to the Phony War period of the Second World War.Bill is now serving in The Pioneer Corps close to where his son,played by John Mills,is stationed.The humour ,such as it is is rather predictable,stealing chickens etc and is rather laboured.It is rather surprising that this film is dated 1941 as it has the feeling of a film produced before the blitzkreig of the low countries.John Mills,is rightly quite dismissive of this film in his autobiography.It is really no more than a curiosity now.

Bruce Bairnsfather sends his old campaigner out looking for a better 'ole for the Second World War in this movie, under the direction of Ian Dalyrimple. After John Mills, playing Young Bill, joins up when war is declared, Old Bill, played by Morland Graham tries to get in. He's told he's too old, but a series of senior officers were his junior officers in the last fight, so he winds up on the front in France, scrounging and getting into trouble in this service comedy.

This was a good effort at the time it was released -- in March of 1940, when the fighting, so far as the British were concerned, was on the Eastern Front, and a failed campaign in Norway. The French were still waiting in the Maginot Line, facing the Siegfried Line. It would take another couple of months before the Germans launched their blitzkrieg, took Belgium and the real war began, so far as British history was concerned, at Dunkirk.

As a result this looks like a very peculiar view of the Second World War, like Jan de Hartog's ERGENS IN NEDERLAND. Like many a movie made for the moment, its moment has passed.

Reviving Bruce Bairnsfeather's beloved cartoon character from the Great War probably seemed a good idea when war broke out again. But it only too obviously demonstrates how naive the feature films were early in the war when the authorities obviously expected a reprise of the last war, taking place again in France.

Despite being released in 1941 no mention is made of Dunkirk; and the final close-up goes to John Mills as the son rather than Morland Graham as Old Bill.

When young Bill Busby enlists after the Nazis invade Poland, his father old Bill wants to do his part. So Old Bill And Son played by Morland Graham and John Mills both do their bit for King and country.

As Graham was in the first World War it takes a bit of doing, but Graham is not without contacts and he gets in the two serve over in France.

As we know this is the part called the 'phony war' after Hitler successfully conquered Poland and the Allies and Axis just stared at each other. An interesting aspect of this is that the attitude demonstrated here is that they expected it to be a static war of troops in trenches like the last one. Even with Hitler's blitzkrieg of armor rolling over Poland this was what was expected. It came, but in the spring of 1940

In the meantime things settle down and Old Bill And Son turns to comedy and I'm sure the 'phony war' had its share of it.

Mills and Graham have a nice chemistry and there's a wonderful scene with Mary Clare as wife and mother telling Graham why Hitler isn't about to send her off to the country and have her abandon home and hearth.

Old Bill And Son, a nice stiff upper lip British morale booster still quite entertaining today.