I Believe in You

When this film was made England was still a society divided by class, one's accent, manners, clothes and speech defined one's background and determined one's future.

England was still recovering from WWII, many parts of London were still bomb sites, some food was still on ration, especially sweets, and although the manufacturer's catalogues were full of wonderful items that they were making, many were "For Export Only", essentially to the United States in payment for war loans.

Against this background of priviledge; for the upper class probation officer; and the difficult working class origins of the probationees; all set in war-ravaged London with as fine a collection of actors that could be assembled; I Believe in You is a minor classic of its time,one of the earliest films depicting real people and their problems rather than the glamourous lives of the movies the propaganda ministries wanted us to see.

Many of the outdoor locations show parts of London never before seen on the big screen, and these too provide interest for anyone interested in locations of movies.

When this film was being made a new class was forming in society that would have a powerful effect on the future,namely teenagers.To a certain extent they seem to be ignored altogether in this film.As a result all the usual eccentrics would be wheeled in to this film to show that nothing had changed.Katie Johnson and her cat could have been Mrs Wilberforce with her 5 musicians.The only sop to the younger generation are Joan Collins,Harry Fowler and Laurence Harvey.Now Fowler was a decent enough bloke but do you really think that she would prefer life with him to the passionate and dangerous affair with Harvey,i hardly think so.As other reviewers have noted the air of smug paternalism overwhelms this film,be it the magistrate or the Probation Officers or the Police.

I just caught this relatively "minor" British postwar film on TV, and notwithstanding the slightly conservative and paternalistic attitudes noted by other reviwers, I found this an enjoyable and really charming experience, and there are some solid laughs to be had along the way.

Cecil Parker and Celia Johnson acquit themselves admirably as the two probation officers, but the real interest for me lies in the supporting cast. Most notable is the part of the delinquent teenage girl, Norma, played by future superstar Joan Collins in her first major credited screen role. She's not that great, let's be honest, but the camera loves her. Watch out for the beleaguered court sergeant, played by the legendary Sid James, making one of his first film appearances, two years before he became a household name on "Hancock's Half Hour".

A very young, rather chubby-faced, pre-fame Laurence Harvey features as a right bad'un, but the main male "juvenile" role is filled by the wonderful character actor Harry Fowler, a former London newspaper boy (and a direct contemporary of George Cole), who lucked into movies after being interviewed on radio about his experiences of working in London during WWII.

For film buffs, this movie is also really worth watching for several beautiful performances by the supporting cast. Perhaps the most notable among them is the great Ada Reeve, playing Mrs Crockett, an elderly former actress. Its a part that closely mirrored real life - Ada Reeve was in fact a major international stage and musical variety star in the Edwardian era, and there is one very poignant scene in which Mrs Crockett implores a reluctant Mr Phipps to look at her album, which turns out to contain real drawings and a vintage photo of Ada herself as a young star. Equally delightful is the wonderful cameo by the great Katie Johnson as the dotty Miss Macklin; like Ada Reeve, Katie was a veteran star of the British stage, who started out as a child actor in the late Victorian era. This is one of Johnson's relatively few film appearances; her best-known role came three years later with her luminous, BAFTA-winning star turn as sweet old landlady, Mrs Wilberforce, in the Ealing classic "The Ladykillers".

Also, watch out for a terrific cameo by Ursula Howell, playing the drunken, shoplifting society girl, "The Hon. Ursula". She's hilarious.

Despite the somewhat dated social content, this movie has a ton of charm, a good heart, and many lovely performances, both by younger actors on the cusp of future success, and some true veterans of the British stage. A surprisingly good movie.

I stumbled upon this film quite by accident (it was part of a DVD box set of Ealing Studios rarities), and I found that I couldn't stop watching. This is primarily the story of a retired diplomat named Mr. Phipps who decides to become a probation officer in post-war London. After an awkward period of adjustment, he starts to become emotionally invested in the various characters, old and young, under his care. Far from being jaded, the ex-diplomat finds himself taking risks and promising too much in a sincere desire to transform the lives of his clients. There are some vividly emotional performances here in a brilliant cast consisting of the older people (e.g. the other probation officers and the judge) and the younger people (in trouble with the law, yet capable of redemption if given the chance -- including a teenage Joan Collins in a star-making role). As the film was ending, I wished that the story could continue, and I could see how Mr. Phipps gets on. The story just feels authentic... how the probation officer's job can be so hectic and complex, a mix of disappointments, triumphs, and everything in between. I also loved the locations, glimpses into parts of working class 1950's London that we don't usually see on film.

I agree with the other comments and would add that the players are outstanding, playing roles not usually associated with them. Cecil Parker and Celia Johnson have always portrayed toffs and to see them cast as Social workers is unusual. Almost like Peter Ustinov in "Hot Millions" - another gem. Harry Fowler is the quintessential wide boy and plays the part to perfection. He shares this talent with Micael Caine - who is often miscast - as a toff ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - where he is completely out of his depth reprising the David Niven (the quintessential toff) role in "Bedtime Story" - with Marlon Brando. And the young Joan Collins is perfect as a working class girl - she too was regularly miscast as a society type. All in all, a wonderful piece of cinema & I hope it gets re-issued, along with "The Liile Farm" (Country Matters by H.E. Bates) and "The Happy Valley" - both brilliant films. I wonder if it would be possible, using the good offices of IMDb, to open a forum to petition for the re-issue of some of the classics of the 50's & 60's? I can think of Toi, le venin; A Cold Wind in August: Les Amants: Les Valseuses; Dimendicare Venetia Loulou & many others.