Look Up and Laugh

Alfred Drayton wants Flamborough Market torn down so he can put up a department store. Gracie Fields shows up and bucks up the stall owners. Drayton's daughter, Vivien Leigh. is so inspired she tells daddy he can keep his allowance, she'll get a job in the market. Drayton gets an order for the merchants to leave despite a royal warrant from Edward III, but Gracie has them bolt the doors and conduct a sit-down strike.

It's a pleasant vehicle for Miss Fields, pure and simple, with flag waving, an autogyro and five songs for Our Gracie to sing. Surprisingly, the script is credited to J.B. Priestley. Less surprisingly,it's directed by Basil Dean at his ATP Studios, which would evolve into Ealing. Look for Kenneth More moving a piano in his first (uncredited) screen appearance.

Polished if predictable performance from Gracie Fields, who's not greatly stretched in this particular outing. Several music hall regulars appear with much gurning, but they appear stifled and at best of only middling joviality, although a routine in a large department store is perhaps a high spot. Kenneth More appears, but its very much a blink and you'll miss it debut and Vivian Leigh also has her first outing of any note but what could have been a pivotal role in the story is simply rather bland and non-eventful. If you love Gracie Fields as much as I do, you won't have any real complaints as her songs and magical twinkles make up for any other shortcomings, but it's far from her best