The Winslow Boy

This is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen, and since I turn 92 next month, I have seen a fair number of movies. Robert Donat, one of England's greatest actors ever, embodies the true-life soul of Sir Robert Morton, a high-powered attorney, who sacrificed his success for principle. Sir Cedric Hardwicke as magnificent as the accused boy's beleaguered father. Margaret Leighton's chemistry with Donat is flawless. The dialogue by Terrence Rattigan is equally classic. There are also wonderful small bits by Stanley Holloway, Cyril Ritchard, and Ernest Thesinger. If you wish to see a classic English film, almost unknown in this country, rent this one, and you are in for a treat.

Incidentally, there is also a 1998 version of this movie starring Jeremy Northam and Ian McKellen. Although it does not approach the greatness of the original, it is a more than satisfactory homage, and well worth seeing in its own right --- AFTER you've treated yourself to Donat's classic performance.

Arthur Winslow is the head of a respectable London family; however this threatens to change when his young son is expelled from military school for stealing a postal order worth 5 shillings. Winslow risks his wealth and his family to pursue justice for his son. However when the military court of appeal rejects him he has to appeal to the highest court in the land through MP Sir Morton.

Having seen a recent version of this play I was curious to see another and was glad when I spotted it coming onto television. The play itself is pretty stagy and because of this it doesn't suffer from being dated – the 1948 production values are easily the equal of the 1998 version. The film here differs from the recent version in that it has much more of the legal wrangling onscreen and not off. This makes the film much better as it encompasses both the social battle of the Winslow's and the legal one.

Both are involving and gripping but I must admit that I wasn't as caught up in the social drama as much as I wanted to be, because I felt that any family who's main worry in life was that there son had been excluded from school needn't worry about much! The fact that the Winslow's were able to get the ear of an MP just made it more difficult for me to get into – few people live in such high circles (even if they work in a bank!).

The cast are good. Hardwicke is good as Winslow but the real star of the piece is Donat as Sir Morton. He is very stiff but also has layers that he reveals as he goes – as well as carrying the weight of the legal thrills. The majority of the cast are good in roles of varying sizes and no-one does a noticeably bad job. Some are slight stereotypes but not to the film's detriment.

Overall this is a very good film and is better than the modern version. It mixes drama with wit and romance to good effect and puts the legal drama and the social drama on the same level rather than letting one suffer to the other. It had the potential to feel slow but the drama keeps it interesting throughout.

Terence Rattigan, once the toast of London's West End, fell very much out of favor when a new generation of playwrights made his plays seem antiquated and irrelevant. It took David Mamet's excellent filming of the "Winslow Boy" to remind us, that at his best, Rattigan was an exceptionally fine dramatist. Having much enjoyed the movie, I was curious to see the 1948 version directed by Anthony Asquith, who worked on a number of occasions with Rattigan.

It's an exceptional film from all accounts. Asquith's adaptations of theater works for the screen are excellent. Without opening them out too extensively they manage to avoid being stage bound, (Pygmalion, Browning Version, Importance of Being Earnest).

Being already familiar with the storyline, I simply sat back and savored the wonderful performances, and what performances they are. Cedric Hardwicke as the father lacks the softness of Nigel Hawthorne's portrayal and yet that's what precisely makes it ultimately more moving. Robert Donat overflows with charisma and Margaret Leighton plays her very first screen appearance with much intelligence and total aplomb.

The best of British

This film adaption of Terrence Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy is highlighted by Robert Donat's performance of celebrated English barrister, Sir Robert Morton. It's one of Donat's best performances although he's more Donat that Edward Carson on whom the character is actually based.

If you want to see a more accurate portrayal of Carson and by name than the Oscar Wilde film starring Peter Finch is what you have to look at. In that one James Mason plays Carson who was by all accounts one mean man to cross, but a brilliant advocate. In that film Carson is appearing for the prosecution and he's relentless.

In his own elegant way Donat is relentless also, but he's also one cold blooded fish. As he plays Morton, the part is perfect for one of Donat's antiseptic portrayals.

The story concerns young Ronald Winslow played by Neil North who is expelled from the Naval Academy for the theft of a postal money order of five shillings. I'm sure even back in the Edwardian days this would go down as a petty theft, but it involves the military, His Majesty's military which does not make mistakes as we know.

Half the film is devoted to just letting young Mr. North have his day in court. This isn't America, he has to get permission from the government just to be allowed to defend himself. That is something that North's father Cedric Hardwicke is determined to see he gets.

It costs the Winslow family considerable. Older brother Jack Watling is not allowed to finish Oxford, sister Margaret Leighton's fiancé Frank Lawton breaks up with her because of the notoriety and Hardwicke's health goes down hill.

The Winslow Boy is based on a true incident from back in the beginning of the last century and it has good performances all around. Cyril Ritchard and Stanley Holloway do a couple of music hall numbers to capture the spirit of the time and are welcome indeed.

Still The Winslow Boy is Robert Donat's show and a good show it is.

I hadn't seen this but was aware of its starry remake some fifty years on; having now seen both, this is the better movie for several reasons. Firstly, three brilliant actors in the cast: Cedric Hardwicke, who still fools me every time and it is a surprise and joy to discover it was him after all when the credits roll; Robert Donat, who had another definitive role in this to add to Mr Chips; and the lovely Margaret Leighton, as the suffragette Winslow daughter who isn't at all militant. Secondly, the plot, which manages to weave quite a few threads along with the central story of little Ronnie Winslow and the stolen postal order. And lastly, because of the sparkle and energy of the script and the detail put into every frame. It's a wonderful film which keeps the attention from wandering, and I highly recommend it.