Any Anglophiles Among Us?

[westegg]

I find YouTube invaluable--I'm now catching up on rather obscure but fascinating movies/shorts from England, mostly from the '30s and '40s. Big revelation is discovering Evelyn Dall, an American singer who performed in England circa 1935-46. She was as lively and talented as Betty Grable, and Grable never imitated Groucho Marx, as Dall did in MISS LONDON Ltd (1943). But I'm also finding legendary comics as Arthur Askey, Lupino Lane and a host of others. Anyone else on such a path?

[Donald Binks]

Been watching British pictures for years old thing - Will Hay is one of my favourite comedians. I daresay you have or are working your way through the Ealing comedies?

[westegg]

Oh, I've done my homework on those! I've watched British cinema for eons--just that on YouTube there's a wealth of rare material. I also find interesting TV documentaries never shown here in the U.S, such as a look at British TV history and the British Music Hall and theatre. What's notable to me is discovering famous and legendary British comic stars--but only famous and legendary in England! I guess Benny Hill was the odd crossover that I discovered in the late '70s when his show was broadcast here as a novelty. In movies, Jessie Matthews was a delight I also discovered, such as in EVERGREEN.

But YouTube sure fills in the gaps with so many other acclaimed names that somehow never became well known here. Dall was one of those Americans that found her niche in England, and then retired when she returned to America.

[entredeuxguerres]

...In movies, Jessie Matthews was a delight I also discovered, such as in EVERGREEN.

For sure, Jessie is an incomparable delight, but most of her pictures demonstrate the problem faced by British film producers: the cream of British cinematic talent, most of it at any rate, had succumbed to the lure of Hollywood. (Very surprising that Jessie didn't follow them.) Thus Jessie rarely worked with talent equal to her own, & some of her "co-stars" are downright pathetic. (Her wonderful performance with John Gielgud in The Good Companions is a notable, but solitary, exception.)

Same thing tended to happen when a top American player whose career was beginning to wane, such as Bebe Daniels, starred in a British production: only such an ardent Bebe-lover as myself would seriously care to watch A Southern Maid (1933).

If Evelyn Dall can be compared with Grable, I'm definitely going to give her a look-see, though 10-15 min. is about the limit of my endurance for watching anything on YT.

[antoniod]

This isn't completely movie related, but check out the great Tony Hancock on YouTube, especially THE BLOOD DONOR and THE RADIO HAM. And also STEPTOE AND SON, the show that Sanford and Son is based on. Both written by great comedy writers Galton and Simpson.

[telical]

I have to admit I haven't spent a lot of time trying, but when I do view
British films from this era, what often crop up are comedies, mysteries,
or crime/war films. Are there any good films that are more drama, deeper meaning
in every day life, kinds of films?

[R Michael Pyle]

I've become a nut about British film. Jessie Matthews, Anna Neagle, George Formby, Will Hay (especially!), early Hitchcock, Edna Best - I even look for Helen Haye (not to be confused with the American actress, Helen Hayes!) - Miles Matheson, Leslie Banks, Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, and many, many others. I've bought all 13 of the Ealing Rarities sets (someone told me there were only 12, but the thirteenth is up for sale. Some of the films are incredible gems. Discovering films like "Edge of the World", "I Know Where I'm Going", and "The Brothers", or "Owd Bob", "Nell Gywn" (both the silent AND the sound versions!), and so many others has been a pleasure I never even dreamed of ten years ago.

[entredeuxguerres]

I've been getting hot with Evelyn Dall on YT, best of the clips I watched being this one: http://youtu.be/OZF7xciesm4" target="_blank

She's a very fine songstress, but to be comparable with Grable, she's got to get hot with her feet as well as her voice, & none of the bits I watched included dancing.

[entredeuxguerres]

...Anna Neagle..."Nell Gywn"...

Have been interested in this, but is it produced as comic farce, in the mood of Lawton's Henry VIII, straight drama, something in between?

[westegg]

I've been getting hot with Evelyn Dall on YT, best of the clips I watched being this one: http://youtu.be/OZF7xciesm4" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

She's a very fine songstress, but to be comparable with Grable, she's got to get hot with her feet as well as her voice, & none of the bits I watched included dancing.

Check Miss London Ltd where I think she's at her most attractive (discounting the Groucho mustache). I can't say she did any significant dancing (she's more of a mover!) but I like her cheery, welcoming personality which reminds me of Grable.

[R Michael Pyle]

...Anna Neagle..."Nell Gywn"...

Have been interested in this, but is it produced as comic farce, in the mood of Lawton's Henry VIII, straight drama, something in between?

It's certainly not comic farce, but it's not very serious, either. Well worth the money to invest in the DVD, though, realize that it's PAL.

[drednm]

Yes to Jessie Matthews, Anna Neagle, and Will Hay! These are not people I had ever heard of in my youth and they were great discoveries. Each one is a treasure in his/her own category. Youtube has provided a lot of films with faves like Margaret Lockwood, Dirk Bogarde, Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, James Mason, Ann Todd, and Jack Warner.

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

You may like to check out such rarities as WOMAN TO WOMAN (1929) and the synchronised version of THE INFORMER (1929), still on YouTube. THE FLYING SCOTSMAN (1929/30) was also on a while back but seems to have been pulled, as was A WARM CORNER (1930). SCOTSMAN was put out on Region 2 a couple of years back, CORNER was listed on vhs ages ago but the YouTube posting was my first shot at it. The 1931 THE GHOST TRAIN was posted a few weeks back, but is missing most of the sound and two reels of visuals. Not sure if exists complete, but a good start considering it was once thought lost. Grateful also, for THE INFORMER. Saw the non-synchronised version years back and had no idea this version was extant.

Being English myself, I first saw some of these films about 40 years ago on daytime tv in school holidays, but there are still plenty of gaps. Quite a lot of rarities have been put out on disc in the past year - so plenty to choose from now, just a matter of time and money...

Note:- A WARM CORNER is now on free-classic-movies,com and THE GHOST TRAIN (1931) is on the Internet Archive.

[entredeuxguerres]

You may like to check out such rarities as WOMAN TO WOMAN (1929)...

That one, luckily, can be acquired here on DVD, so on-line viewing isn't necessary. Betty Compson alone was ample reason for me to get it, but in addition George Barraud is a particular favorite of mine. But I'd forgotten it was a British production!

[R Michael Pyle]

"Woman to Woman" needs a good release. Compson originally made that as a silent, then reprised the role for the 1929 sound film. I thought it a real gem, one I'd never heard of, but I certainly enjoyed it when I watched it. I didn't realize it was a British production - or I'd forgotten - or something...

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

I have a feeling WOMAN TO WOMAN (1929) may have been a co-production, such as JOURNEY'S END (1930, produced by George Pearson, but using the Tiffany studio), with a combination of British and American artists and personnel, and some or all filming done in America due to shortage of sound equipment and / or technicians. I first realised it was extant a couple of years back before I was able to download movies. It was then deleted from YouTube, but I discovered it again on freeclassicmovies.com - not watched yet! Saville's KITTY (1928/29) was a similar case, the silent material being shot over here, and cast and crew going to America for the talkie sequence[s].

[Jim Roots]

Are you not aware there is a whole, long, ongoing and lively thread about watching British films on this site?

Jim

[entredeuxguerres]

Are you not aware there is a whole, long, ongoing and lively thread about watching British films on this site?

Jim

Yes, but you don't doubt, do you, that Diversity is the summum bonum? (As we are told, incessantly.)

[westegg]

Looks like I just found it. I was more or less focused on YouTube rambles and how it made me discover unique, usually all too forgotten British personalities.

[s.w.a.c.]

Might be worth your while to peruse the offerings of VCI Home Entertainment, as they have issued several UK films on DVD and blu-ray in recent years, including some titles (a host of Jessie Matthews films, for example) that aren't even available in Britain.