Old Bill and Son

Filmed during WW11 when Germany had the initiative and was invading Russia, a number of the actors (apart from John Mills) were familiar to me.There was Renee Houston a music hall artiste (Gloria in "A Girl Must Live 1939), Renee Ray ,"Miss Fulham" a bathing beauty queen who renounces her chance of competing in "Bank Holiday" (1938), Gus McNaughton a newspaper editor in "Storm in a teacup" (1937), Roland Culver a well known character actor in "The Moon's a Balloon" (1940)and many other titles and finally Ronald Shiner "Dry Rot" (1951).

We had to raise the nation's morale in 1941 (the year H.M.S.Hood was sunk by "Bismark" and this film (based on a WW1 cartoon)is where the entire family and friends of John Mills enter the army and most magically are all posted together to France.This was helpful for filming as it is mostly a studio bound production with little or no expensive location shots or big stars salaries to pay.Obviously a propaganda film produced to raise the nation's morale but it was mildly entertaining so I rated it 6/10.

Young Bill (John Mills) has just joined the British Army, as he wants to do his part now that war has arrived. Well, Old Bill (Morland Graham), his father, wants to do his part as well...though no one takes him seriously due to his age. Plus, he already fought in WWI like a good patriotic Brit would have done. At first he's rejected but ultimately joins up...and ends up serving with his son.

It is hard to believe that a many pushing 50 would be inducted into the regular army, though the Home Guard (volunteers who drilled and trained in case the country was actually invaded) would have loved to have had Old Bill. Regardless, you should suspend your disbelief and just watch this pleasant comedy. Not a great film by any standard but a nice propaganda film made to stir up British pride and patriotism when things were their worst.

When young Bill Busby enlists after the Nazis invade Poland, his father old Bill wants to do his part. So Old Bill And Son played by Morland Graham and John Mills both do their bit for King and country.

As Graham was in the first World War it takes a bit of doing, but Graham is not without contacts and he gets in the two serve over in France.

As we know this is the part called the 'phony war' after Hitler successfully conquered Poland and the Allies and Axis just stared at each other. An interesting aspect of this is that the attitude demonstrated here is that they expected it to be a static war of troops in trenches like the last one. Even with Hitler's blitzkrieg of armor rolling over Poland this was what was expected. It came, but in the spring of 1940

In the meantime things settle down and Old Bill And Son turns to comedy and I'm sure the 'phony war' had its share of it.

Mills and Graham have a nice chemistry and there's a wonderful scene with Mary Clare as wife and mother telling Graham why Hitler isn't about to send her off to the country and have her abandon home and hearth.

Old Bill And Son, a nice stiff upper lip British morale booster still quite entertaining today.

Unlike the other "reviewer" i have had the opportunity of seeing this film.It is of course based on the cartoon characters of Bruce Bairnsfather of Tommie's in the First World War.There was a Warner Brothers silent film "The Better Ole" produced by Warner Brothers in 1926.This film updates the story to the Phony War period of the Second World War.Bill is now serving in The Pioneer Corps close to where his son,played by John Mills,is stationed.The humour ,such as it is is rather predictable,stealing chickens etc and is rather laboured.It is rather surprising that this film is dated 1941 as it has the feeling of a film produced before the blitzkreig of the low countries.John Mills,is rightly quite dismissive of this film in his autobiography.It is really no more than a curiosity now.

Reviving Bruce Bairnsfeather's beloved cartoon character from the Great War probably seemed a good idea when war broke out again. But it only too obviously demonstrates how naive the feature films were early in the war when the authorities obviously expected a reprise of the last war, taking place again in France.

Despite being released in 1941 no mention is made of Dunkirk; and the final close-up goes to John Mills as the son rather than Morland Graham as Old Bill.