English Without Tears

Considering that it uses as its backdrop the mounting militarisation of Britain between the summer of 1939 and the beginning of 1943 this is a fantastically inconsequential and unfocused piece of escapist fluff.

A sequel in name only to 'French Without Tears' (1939), based on Terence Rattigan's West End hit of 1936, which had got the newly formed company Two Cities Films on its feet five years earlier; they prevailed upon Rattigan to lend his name to this occasionally risqué nonsense utilising material which had been left over by Rattigan when he recently completed his play 'When the Sun Shines' in 1943. If you can't be bothered to keep track of the elaborate ebb and flow of romantic entanglements that flit before you, there's always the usual collection of familiar faces in supporting roles to enjoy, particularly cherishable contributions coming from Peggy Cummins, Margaret Rutherford and Roland Culver.

... though somewhat confusing. I would have been the first to attempt a synopsis for this movie but the plot to me was a bit oblique. Not only do we have a romance across "class distinction" lines with the backdrop of a slightly daffy female aristocrat trying to protect English migratory birds, but there is something to do with an interpreter played by the beautiful Lilli Palmer who neither looks nor sounds like a Brigid Knudsen. And our heroine, Joan, played by Penelope Ward, getting all mad at the criss-cross of relationships the meaning of which people scope out on the basis of one remark or juxtaposition. At least Joan gets a bit of come-uppance when a foreign political cartoonist sketches her toothy upper class face a bit too faithfully; that funny showcase is never revisited so it's almost like a red herring, but never mind. The political cartoonist is one of the menage of trois or quatre or cinq that gets Joan and others upset; the other major player is a Frenchman who I kept expecting to get with Lilli/Brigid, especially as she looked and sounded so much more French herself.

But the priceless person in this little exhibition, aside from Margaret Rutherford as our dotty aristocrat, is Michael Wilding, who went on to fame as Elizabeth Taylor's second husband. He apparently never rated himself as a good actor but he is very effective here, and very funny in spots. And not bad-looking. Transparently an attempt to cash in on the success of My Man Godfrey about a romance with one's butler from across the pond, for my money this one was even better, which does happen occasionally with rip-offs. Notwithstanding that that sort of thing might never have happened -- my stepfather insisted that British aristocracy would never look beyond their class so Pygmalion/My Fair Lady was completely fraudulent, too, in his view. But despite some of the stumbles, it can be forgiven on the basis of sprightliness and maybe any awkwardness adds to the comedy.

This is a quintessentially English film scripted in the main by Terence Rattigan, arguably one of the great English playwrights. He wrote the play, made into a film called ' French Without Tears ' and this in a way is a loose follow up, and the American title is both trite and ridiculous. It is a wonderful and subtle comedy on class relations beginning to break down in the UK just before and after WW2. Penelope Dudley-Ward is good in her mood shifts and changes of feeling in her relationship with her butler played by Michael Wilding. The cast is excellent with Lili Palmer stealing every scene she is in, and there are others in the cast including Margaret Rutherford and Roland Culver who uphold the spirit of pre-war England in a manner both farcical and strangely endearing. I love it but it needs work and an understanding of the social politics of the time.

A tedious, humorless film, interspersed awkwardly with random war-time propaganda.

A posh girl falls in/out/in love with the butler, depending on his social ranking, as he moves upwards through the social classes via promotion in military rank. The audience has to suffer through an hour of "will they, won't they". You will find yourself hoping the characters will be blitzed just to put a stop to their terrible dialogue and hopeless acting.

There are many small side plots that are not resolved satisfactorily, such as an interpreters struggle with citizenship papers. random war propaganda is inserted at various points such as the scene where the aunt has a gas-mask fitting, and an awkward montage of the main character doing some very unrealistic military training.

Primula Rollo who plays the 2nd AT went on to marry David Niven . In 1946 she died in a freak accident at Tyrone Power 's house aged 26 . She fell down cellar steps during a game of hide and seek . Broke Niven's heart .