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IMDb > In Which We Serve (1942)

In Which We Serve (1942) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   1,549 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Directors:
Noel Coward
David Lean
Writer:
Noel Coward (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for In Which We Serve on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 December 1942 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | War more
Tagline:
IT STANDS ALONE - The Greatest Of All Motion Pictures! [Australia theatrical] more
Plot:
This "story of a ship," the British destroyer HMS Torrin, is told in flash backs by survivors as they cling to a life raft. | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
The Ship Comes First *** more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Noel Coward ... Captain E. V. Kinross R.N. / Captain 'D'
Derek Elphinstone ... No. 1
Michael Wilding ... Flags
Robert Sansom ... Guns
Philip Friend ... Torps
Ballard Berkeley ... Engineer Commander
Hubert Gregg ... Pilot
James Donald ... Doc
Michael Whittaker ... Sub
Kenneth Carten ... Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R.
John Varley ... Secco
Bernard Miles ... Chief Petty Officer Hardy / Walter Hardy
Caven Watson ... Brodie

John Mills ... Ordinary Seaman Blake / Shorty Blake
Geoffrey Hibbert ... Joey Mackeridge
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Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:115 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System)
Certification:
UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Celia Johnson's screen debut. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the scene in which two Army officers returning from Dunkirk join Kinross on the bridge of his ship, the way the cigarette smoke rises betrays the fact this scene was shot indoors. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Voice: [voiceover] This is the story of a ship...
[long sequence of ship-building and launch]
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 23 people found the following comment useful:-
The Ship Comes First ***, 4 February 2006
7/10
Author: edwagreen from United States

When "In Which We Serve" was made in 1942, England was in the midst of its finest hour. We see a film of honor, devotion, and loyalty to the realm.

It is basically the story of a boat being torpedoed and the flashbacks of 3 sailors aboard the doomed wreckage.

Noel Coward, a brilliant talent, did not perform well here. His scenes with his children appear awkward and he is unusually cold towards them. While a war is going on, that strong sentiment of a loving friendly tie is missing.

Kudos go to Celia Johnson, as Alix, his wife in the film. She states in a memorable way that in the navy, devotion to the ship comes first. John Mills is also effective as a navy man. In a heart-wrenching scene, he must tell a fellow shipman that his wife and mother-in-law have been killed in the blitz.

The ending is poignantly done. A tear will come to the eye as Coward says goodbye to those who survived the torpedoed ship.

A film of valor and of the human spirit. England was certainly at its finest hour.

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John Mills comes from Nottingham...? PorkPie007
The Kinross Special pjhuckett
Name that March jglapin
Cast Errors - The Midshipman nigelpwsmith
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