Cheer Boys Cheer

An enjoyable British film from 1939 is a forerunner to the Ealing comedies to follow post-war from Producer Michael Balcon.

The story concerns a trade dispute between two competing breweries in the London area. Ironside, an expanding brewery brewed with military precision in its metallic brewery and Greenleaf, a more traditional, smaller operation with a more family orientated approach that resists the approaches of the expanding Ironside empire.

What eventually brings the two competing breweries together is a love affair that develops between the daughter of Mr. Greenleaf and the son of Mr. Ironside and the film indeed ends with a merger and wedding.

This pre-war film sheds some light on the wartime footing that England was in. We see the military precision of the Ironside operation complete with the owner reading Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in one scene to the more family orientated Greenleaf operation (the U. K.?).

The film was actually produced and released by a company called Associated Talking Pictures Ltd. That later morphed into the more famous Ealing Studios operation.

It's a sharply turned romantic comedy as Peter Coke attempts to sabotage an old-fashioned brewery and woo Nova Pilbeam.

Part of the charm of this movie for me is that I see here one of the forebears of the Ealing comedies of the 1950s -- Ronald Neame worked on this, as well as S.C. Balcon, one of the producers of the prototype of the Ealing community of eccentrics, WENT THE DAY WELL? But is this an actually an Ealing comedy?

Well, yes, it's from Ealing, and it's a comedy. But there is more to being an Ealing Comedy than being a comedy and being from Ealing Studios. Will Hays' last few movies were not Ealing comedies, even if they were produced by Ealing.

So what makes an Ealing Comedy? Many things, but I will focus on one or two points. In many ways, the Ealing comedies were intensely nostalgic for an England that existed only in the artists' minds, from the boys'-series-mad gangs of HUE AND CRY to the sentimental murderers of THE LADY KILLERS to Guinness' betrayed but still still unbowed scientist of THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT. The eccentrics find their support in the other eccentrics, here in the workers of the brewery, who include Will Hays' supporting comics.

Undoubtedly I am reading too much into this; blame, if you will, a taste for academic analysis. But this is a fine romantic comedy and if you have a chance to see it, don't miss it.

This is a pretty terrible film. Ian Darylmple wrote a few superb little comedies and dramas in the thirties but this is one I think he'd rather forget about. It replaces silliness for humour and annoying caricatures for characters. Drivel would be the politest description.

Being made just a few months before the outbreak of The Second World War the analogy of a big nasty mechanical concern threatening a quaint place like John Major's 'land of long shadows on county cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers' is pretty clear. Had the script lived up to the film's clever premise, had it got some teeth, it could have been interesting but everything lets this down.

The whole thing feels just too nice, it lacks any edge or real wit. Michael Balcon had just taken over what would shortly become Ealing Studios and was imposing his gentle, comfortable niceness to the studio's output. Whereas this would eventually result in a handful of great subtle, very English nice, comfy pictures, this one just leaves you comfortably numb.

Besides the stupid unbelievable story another problem with this is its cast. For a comedy there should be at least one comedy actor - this just has a mediocre support cast trying to play lead roles. Worst of all are Marriott and Moffatt whom as foils to the great Will Hay were funny in small doses but as major roles trying to act, they're embarrassingly bad.

In this cute, forgotten comedy, all the classic elements are in place: hate-at-first-sight, mistaken identity, lies, family feuds, and a failing business. There's a struggling brewery about to be bought out by a heartless company who would toss out the family element and the souls of the workers. While business mogul Edmund Gwenn sends his son, Peter Coke, to handle the negotiation, he has no idea that his son will fall in love. Nova Pilbeam, the owner's daughter, crashes into Peter's car and makes a terrible first impression. But as they sit there seething, they get a second look at each other. . .

When Peter realizes who the beautiful young lady is, he gives a false name upon introduction so she won't hate him. Do you think everything will go smoothly for the young couple? Though dated and possessing a distinct 1930s flavor to it, if you like that style, this movie is pretty cute. You can easily see a similar situation with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (Fred would, naturally have a tap solo among the beer barrels). Check it out!

Michael Balcon had been partly responsible for the teaming of Marriott and Moffatt with Will Hay when he was head of production at Gaumont British.He now borrowed them along with Nova Pilbeam from Gainsborough who they were contracted to after the collapse of Gaumont British.Despite the fact that the Irish comedian Jimmy O Dea has the main comedy role the duo easily outshine him.You only have to compare their rendering of "Old Obadiah" with O Deas painfully unfunny rendition of Napoleons retreat from Moscow.This was to be the pairs penultimate film together ,there being one more film with Will Hay to come the same year.This is a funny film when they are on screen,less so when O Dea is the focus.Alexander Knox features in a small role as a bookkeeper just a few years before his big break in Wilson.In one strange scene,Edmund Gwenn,head of the rival brewery is shown reading Mein Kampf.What might have gotten a pained laugh then is a rather bizarre interlude.Rarely seen but certainly worth a look.