Incontro a piccadilly

Piccadilly Incident is a cheap English WW2 drama that was apparently and perhaps understandably a big critical and commercial hit in immediate post - war Britain, with the conflict and its after effects so fresh in the public's minds. What I find interesting about this patently dull film, is that upon its delayed release in North America, even an abbreviated version was generally savaged by American critics, who summarily dismissed it as tedious and uninteresting. I have to agree with them.

I've seen the full 103 minute version and believe me, it's a trial. What's a potentially interesting premise - participants in a wartime quickie marriage, get separated, with the wife incorrectly presumed dead and the husband later remarrying - turns into a padded out, wearisome episode, complete with an extremely dated, preachy coda about British inheritance laws in existence at that time.

The whole "quickie marriage" affair crazily drags on for at least half of the movie before Diana and Alan actually tie the knot, surely defeating the purpose of the supposedly rushed nature of the romance. During this time we are subjected bizarrely to a couple of full length vaudeville musical/dance numbers which have absolutely nothing to do with the main storyline. I'd venture a guess to suggest it was because of Anna Neagle's (playing Diana) reputation in those areas and who also, was director Herbert Willcox's wife and for no other earthly reason.

Then every opportunity to actually inject some sort of action into the storyline is stymied, probably due to budgetary limitations. A good storyline will still frequently be able to circumvent such constraints. But that's not what we get here. Thus we never see Diana's ship sunk and virtually nothing of consequence happens on the tropical island she is stranded on for some 3 years with a handful of other survivors. That is apart from her spurning the advances of another male survivor, who urges her to forget her husband, as he is likely to have forgotten her. (He was sort of right.)

Meanwhile Alan is crippled, again an opportunity for some action we never see. But we do see him lie around on a couch for awhile, pining for his supposedly drowned Diana, until he gets married again to an American woman (who doesn't sound the slightest bit American) and they have a baby, Diana returns, whereupon the movie turns extremely melodramatic until its very predictable conclusion. (This was the 1940's after all and you can't have a spouse end up a bigamist.)

I'd suggest lucky America perhaps received a version sans padding such as the musical numbers, as well as a pared down Piccadilly romance, but that wasn't to be enough for a film that has so little dramatic substance. It's best avoided.

As a footnote I watched in vain for the Roger Moore cameo that supposedly happens during the film. Like the movie itself, another missed opportunity.

The title of the review is describing what the W.R.E.N. Service is. However it is incorrectly spelt. WRNS is the correct abbreviation as it stands for Woman's Royal Navel Service and phonetically pronounced as Wrens.

A British romantic drama; A story set in London and the Far East about a Wren and a captain who meet by chance during an air raid in London, 1941. They eventually fall deeply in love and marry. Although they spend her short embarkation leave time together, their hopes are tragically destroyed after the fall of Singapore. The film has a promising beginning, builds the story well, but the second act goes from the plausible and realistic to the melodramatic and overplayed. The third act is mostly absorbing before it falls to sentimentality and a sharp resolution. The prologue and epilogue have a weighty tone, a legal flaw that brings some stark realities, and a provocative theme, but a problem remains unresolved. Anne Neagle's performance was first-rate. With Wilding, they had a chemistry despite the uninspiring dialogue. It had an admirable all-round cast nonetheless.

A wartime romance between two people (Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding) starts when they literally bump into each other on a London sidewalk during WW II. As they run for cover during a bombing they become instantly attracted to each other.

There is a whirlwind romance during which we see a little of their lives. She dances; he has a sister (Coral Browne). But she's on a 72-hour pass and must see off a Canadian friend (Michael Laurence). When she returns to the flat he shares with his sister they decide to marry.

Here's where this film takes a remarkable turn. In a role reversal she's the one being shipped out (to Singapore) while he stays home in an office job. When Singapore falls to the Japanese she's on a ship that is sunk. The war report back in London says she has been killed but she's shipwrecked on an island with a few other for 3 years.

Meanwhile, Wilding meets another woman (Frances Mercer) and marries her and has a son. But after Neagle is rescued from the island and returns to London, we see the mess that has been created. Legally she is still the wife. Legally the son is illegitimate. This little wartime romance film takes a decidedly dramatic turn and presents us with quite a quandary.

Neagle is excellent and has a terrific scene when she's in the little boat and watches the rescue plane go overhead, unsure of her own sanity. Wilding is also excellent as the innocent who tries to get on with his life. Neagle and Wilding are a terrific team.

Co-stars include Edward Rigby as the butler, A.E. Matthews as Sir Charles, Reginald Owen as the judge, Brenda Bruce as Sally, and Michael Medwin as the radio operator.

Nicely directed by the underrated Herbert Wilcox (Neagle's husband) and scripted by frequent collaborator Nicholas Phipps.

Anna Neagle plays a WREN (equivalent of the American WAVE) who bumps into a recovering (he was at Dunkirk) Michael Wilding in Piccadilly, London during an air raid.Fortunately Michael has a flat nearby and Anna is convinced for safety it is better to spend the night there.After a whirlwind romance they marry but Anna has been on a secret radio course (cannot tell Michael - wartime discipline) and is bound for the Far East (Singapore).Before this Anna has a chance to show off her dancing pedigree and dances to a strange blend of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and 1940s swing music.At her naval college she makes friends with a Canadian sailor who fancies her.Unfortunately her ship is torpedoed and Anna, along with her Canadian boyfriend, best girl friend (Brenda Bruce) and a few survivors, are shipwrecked on an uninhabited island.They decide to make a bid for survival and are rescued in the nick of time by an American ship before the sun, exhaustion and thirst can overtake them all.

Back in New York and after a decent hairdo, proper clothes, food etc. the survivors make their own way back home courtesy of our American allies.As they have all been missing for so long they have all been legally presumed lost and meanwhile Michael has made friends with then married an attractive American WAVE who has been picnicking along with some other U.S. personnel, outside Michael's grand country house.The WAVE loves England.She and Michael now have a son half English and half American.A bombshell is about to land on this idyll.Under English law at the time a child born out of wedlock cannot assume legal rights of inheritance and Anna is on the way back to reunite with Michael.She meets her American counterpart and the baby she had and when she realises they are married she flees in search of Michael.

Michael is giving a recital on piano of "Piccadilly" to the troops and when he has finished Anna makes herself known.I will not divulge more and invite readers to seek out how the film ends as it is surprising.This is another wonderful film from the Neagle/Wilding partnership which they produced under Herbert Wilcox.If you have seen some of their other films, this is well up to standard.I rated it 7/10