All Over the Town

Superlative depiction of small town English life, postwar. Not to be taken lightly ...though the conflicts are shrouded in a comedic fashion, the message about integrity and courage in the midst of low down, mean spirited adversity can and, just, maybe should be taken seriously. Curious characters as well as the stereotyped dwell here...yet, even the stereotyped---because of the quaint datedness of the production---just not that way in the 21st century.

What prompted me to even register, here, and vote and, then comment on this movie, was the incredible performance and beauty of Sarah Churchill. Simply a modern day competitor to Blanchette, Streep, et.al

First the good news: lovely photography of Lime Regis in summer. But the bad news is that a number of things let this film down. Firstly the lead - Norman Moreland, a tall handsome classical actor but without star quality or personality. Secondly a lack of wit and sensitivity in the screenplay. Thirdly a rather unsympathetic plot.

I'm not sure if the resemblance was coincidental but Moreland physically and in the clothing closely resembles actor James Stewart and the film and part resemble - but fall far short of - a number of classic James Stewart comedies. The difference is that Stewart's screen persona was perfectly served by the scripts: the audience's sympathies and emotions perfectly manipulated. Here the screenplay is, like the main characters, rather clumsy and not really sympathetic. The female lead (Sarah Churchill) too was all set to marry Moreland but angrily rejects him when she discovers that marriage will not provide her an escape to London. Ealing comedies would never have been so clumsy with characters. Even the "villains" (Fabia Drake and James Hayter - always exceedingly good) in this film had more personality and in a way more engaging and certainly more entertaining than the two do-gooders who while they blast open the small town cronyism and corruption, are in their way intolerant overbearing know-alls. It perhaps though accurately reflected the times with division between those who spent the war at home unchanging provincial narrowness and those whom the war was transformative - seeing the world, seeing and having responsibility for decisions over life and death. The screenplay needed to have sketched this rather than assume the audience necessarily knew and were sympathetic.

Some reviews of the time were uncommonly uncomplimentary: "The New York Times described it as a "slow, dogmatic little picture" with a "dog-eared" plot. In The Times, the film's plot was seen as unoriginal, executed "without inspiration or any originality of thought" (Wikipedia) The criticism of the plot seems though unduly harsh - a film about the (local) press being in bed with advertisers and business interests the local people overturning it is not a common one.

A 6.5 - it could have been an 8. Moreland as an actor performed the script he was given but added nothing. A star such as Kenneth More would most likely have seen a need for changes to it. It's what made "Genevieve" such a classic - More played a loud selfish and insensitive man often maddening his wife - but with periodic self-awareness and redeeming charm - script and actor in perfect harmony.

I enjoyed this film for the first time which is a bit surprising since I am something of an aficionado about films of this vintage.What surprised me was its quality and that no UK TV network has transmitted it before to my knowledge.Well about the film.Norman Wooland's character comes back to his old job as an ace reporter on a local UK South Coast newspaper "the Clarion" under the editor played by Ronald Adam.During the war Sarah Churchill's character had taken over the reins while Norman's had served in the RAF as a flying officer.With peacetime Brian Forbes runs around town advising Norman is back on the scene so Sarah has to think about resigning her temporary job thus handing it back.

There are a lot of small time politics acted out especially the building of houses which a previous architect had designed but then had them voted down by the council.Corruption by the local council has been evident especially when a council official offers a member of the paper's staff a high place on the council waiting list in return for their support for their alternative scheme.Inevitably Sarah and Norman join forces especially after the old editor dies and Norman is appointed his replacement.Sarah had wanted to leave the confines of the local town and search elsewhere but changed her mind when Norman asks her to marry him.Thats all I will disclose of the plot.

This film has an all British cast and production team, is well written, acted and structured.I must admit that until I looked up their individual biographies on I.M.D.B I confused the actors Derrick de Marney and Norman Wooland who both have similar faces to me.As a 71 year old I was 2 in 1948 and remember tasting early post war chocolate which was rationed, staying at a bungalow in Greatstone, Kent with my late parents, elder sister and paternal grandmother and overall I rated it 7/10.

Filmed mostly outdoors in and around Lyme Regis In Dorset way back in 1949. The year British Cinema's saw there all time record for admissions, from 1949 though later than in the USA that new must have consumer product called the television set would slowly slice and dice the Cinema exhibition industry to pieces. Yet back in 1949 Britain genuinely had a homegrown film industry that produced quality films for domestic consumption, we all know the best of them, but i doubt if many connoisseurs of historic British films, let alone students of the post war era would list this title among the greats. Yet all who know this minor gem will surely agree, this movie is a triumph, the plot about the saving of a small town rag and a token romance to egg out the running time, is your lot for plot. Not that plot matters as this is a movie primarily about Englishness and how the English saw themselves way back then. History and time have been very generous to this film, the location Lyme Regis has changed surprisingly little and that most lovely of South West towns really is the star of the film, as it was in 1949 and it still will be in 2019 which will be very very soon. 70 years may of passed but the skill of the film makers who made this little wonder shines down through the decades. So do try to hunt down this wonderfully English/English of films and enjoy. This is little England now long long gone, yet still alive to all of us, if only on celluloid.

What more could you want. Lovely views of Lyme Regis, still looks much the same, and small town politics. As a former Mayor at a neighbouring town I can tell you that little has changed in respect of infighting on grandiose schemes to improve local amenities. They still have Operatic groups and fuctions raising money for good causes, British Legion, RNLI etc. The stars are numerous, 10 seconds of Stanley Baker, Patrick McNee and Bryan Forbes in early roles. Worth watching!