Millions Like Us (1943)

Directors:

Sidney Gilliat
Frank Launder

Writers:

Sidney Gilliat (original screenplay)
Sidney Gilliat (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 1943 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

When Celia Crowson is called up for war service, she hopes for a glamor job in one of the services, but as a single girl...

Plot Keywords:

Caldicott And Charters | Beautiful Woman | WWII

Cast

Patricia Roc	...	Celia Crowson
Gordon Jackson	...	Fred Blake
Anne Crawford	...	Jennifer Knowles
Basil Radford	...	Charters
Naunton Wayne	...	Caldicott
Moore Marriott	...	Jim Crowson
Eric Portman	...	Charlie Forbes
Joy Shelton	...	Phyllis Crowson
John Boxer	...	Tom
Valentine Dunn	...	Elsie
Megs Jenkins	...	Gwen Price
Terry Randall	...	Annie Earnshaw
Amy Veness	...	Mrs. Blythe
John Salew	...	Doctor Gill
Beatrice Varley	...	Miss Wells

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, England, UK

Company:

Gainsborough Pictures

Trivia:

First film of Joy Shelton.

Quotes:

Charters: Talking of wartime sacrifices, Caldicott - do you remember old Parterton?
Caldicott: Chap with all those rubber plantations in Malaya?
Charters: Yes, that's the fellow. Do you remember his valet, Hawkins?
Caldicott: Yes.
Charters: He's evacuated to Weston-super-Mare.
Caldicott: Really?
Charters: Parterton's simply livid. Hasn't dressed himself for 30 years.
Caldicott: What's he going to do about it?
Charters: Follow him. To Weston-super-Mare.
Caldicott: Oh, by the way, how many mines have we laid here this morning?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spin off from The Lady Vanishes (1938)

More than mere propaganda

To modern sensibilities the title may sound patronising, but if you're tempted to dismiss this as standard WWII propaganda fare, think again. Set among the female workforce of a heavy engineering factory, this perceptive and thoughtful screenplay explores the disruptive effect of Total War upon family life, established behavioural norms and, crucially, the class distinctions that were still dominating British society at this time. As Time Out critic Nigel Floyd put it: "Raises pertinent questions about what exactly was being fought for: the restoration of the old order, or the foundation of a new one? Intelligent entertainment at its best."

It is also unusual for the era in its unabashed portrayal of young women as actively sexual beings with a healthy, even predatory, interest in men. The sole - and glaring - exception to this model is the central heroine, Celia. Patricia Roc's portrayal of her is so overwhelmingly timid, self-effacing and prudish, it comes as little less than miraculous that she manages to bag Fred: a young Airman in the shape of Gordon Jackson. Mind you, he's no firebrand either: together, they make an infuriatingly ineffectual couple.

Far more interesting is the spiky relationship of social opposites Jennifer (Anne Crawford) - privileged/haughty/indolent - and no-nonsense factory foreman Charlie (Eric Portman). In this pair's uneasy mutual attraction and verbal sparring we see echoes of Shakespeare's Beatrice & Benedick.

N.B.: Watch out for a lovely cameo by Irene Handl as the newlyweds' landlady.