HUE AND CRY by Nigel Hare
Hue and Cry: I first watched this movie some weeks ago and it has taken this long to digest enough to give it a fair review.
It is listed as the first of the Ealing Comedies but it isn't funny, their later comedies have a lot more humour. If you think of Enid Blighton books like the Famous five or boys own adventure books or even, if you are my age, the Saturday morning children's shows down at your local cinema you will get a better idea of the themes and tone of ...this movie. It's plot even begins from a detective story in a weekly comic.
A gang of working class kids in post war London are the heroes and this is the beginning of my dislike for this movie. It's not the location shots of bombed to rubble London that I object, that's is historic and worth a view, but the children. Where are the rough accents and why are all the older ones always wearing shirt, tie and jacket! Am I being fair?
The bad guy is played by Jack Warner (I don't think that is a spoiler because it is obvious) whom you may remember as Dixon of Dock Green, and if you've never heard of that prime time Saturday BBC show ask a parent or someone my age although I'm barely old enough. The delight of this movie is Alistair Sim but his screen time is ten minutes max and he could have saved this movie had he been given more.
I still don't think my critique of this movie is fair because I am convinced that the market is children. But if I doubt that any children would thank you if you showed them this movie in fact you would have to tie them to the chair and tape their eyes open to make them watch. Child line!!!! For those in the club: it is available on DVD as part of my Ealing collection but try the others not this.
It is listed as the first of the Ealing Comedies but it isn't funny, their later comedies have a lot more humour. If you think of Enid Blighton books like the Famous five or boys own adventure books or even, if you are my age, the Saturday morning children's shows down at your local cinema you will get a better idea of the themes and tone of ...this movie. It's plot even begins from a detective story in a weekly comic.
A gang of working class kids in post war London are the heroes and this is the beginning of my dislike for this movie. It's not the location shots of bombed to rubble London that I object, that's is historic and worth a view, but the children. Where are the rough accents and why are all the older ones always wearing shirt, tie and jacket! Am I being fair?
The bad guy is played by Jack Warner (I don't think that is a spoiler because it is obvious) whom you may remember as Dixon of Dock Green, and if you've never heard of that prime time Saturday BBC show ask a parent or someone my age although I'm barely old enough. The delight of this movie is Alistair Sim but his screen time is ten minutes max and he could have saved this movie had he been given more.
I still don't think my critique of this movie is fair because I am convinced that the market is children. But if I doubt that any children would thank you if you showed them this movie in fact you would have to tie them to the chair and tape their eyes open to make them watch. Child line!!!! For those in the club: it is available on DVD as part of my Ealing collection but try the others not this.
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