The Rainbow Jacket

Interesting to see that Sports movies basically haven't changed a lot in 70 years. This is more of a matinee from Ealing Studios with a cast of well known British actors of their day, although Bill Owen wouldn't gain national fame until twenty years later. A knowledge or love of Horse racing isn't necessary to enjoy this tale that's watchable but not great.

But a winner in many ways,unless your short sighted like one review on here.You will need a bit of imagination and remember when this was made 1954. Bill Owen star of many British films of that time yes compo,good solid turn in this one,like many of his films.All ok performances and a believable and ok story worth a watch.Watch out for lame reviewers that can't see beyond their short nose.

Bill Owen had just starred for Dearden & Relph in a stark black & white drama about boxing called 'The Square Ring', and Ealing presumably felt the need to lighten up a bit for their next film shot largely on location in immaculate Technicolor by Otto Heller. Hence the title.

A subplot concerns money owed by Owen to a loan shark played by an unbilled Bernard Lee (also unbilled are David Hemmings, and Katie Johnson in an amusing cameo), one of whose goons cuts Owen's lip with a beer glass, thus serving to remind us that this is still the Britain of ration books and spivs. But the subplot simply prolongs the film without actually making it any more interesting.

Seventh-billed Honor Blackman as Edward Underdown's wife looks ravishing in Technicolor - and in jodhpurs provides some Bond Girl glamour - but is largely absent from the second half of the film.

This is a fine little Ealing film from the great Basil Dearden - lots of brilliant outdoor shots of various race courses around southern England; really captures the colour and excitement of racing (I don't even like racing or gambling on horses). Okay, some of the racing shots are obviously shot in some empty field somewhere and cut together with racing footage but the effect is good. Great shots of Brentford and west London and some of the main line train stations. There's the Griffin Pub in Brentford (right near the football ground, incidentally) and an incredibly gruff, working class area that is now for the rich only. That's the great thing about these Ealing films - they all give you an amazing insight into a society that has changed so much in just 50 years.

Simple but effective script from Tibby Clarke, too.

if you enjoy horse racing and all that goes with it.If like me you find it a complete bore don't waste your time with this film.The only good thing about it is the colour cinematography.The story is full of clichés and it is surprising to realise that the great T.E.B.Clarke was the scriptwriter.I have to say that after a relatively short period of time I pulled up lame as I was clearly unable to last the course and was unwilling to risk a stewards enquiry.All the usual characters were to be seen such as Robert Morely and Wilfred Hyde White.However by this time Ealing was starting to run out of steam and more importantly money.It only had 2 years left before it was sold to BBC for television productions.You might call that a lame finish.