Sidney Gilliat wrote loads of excellent stories and screenplays including THE LADY VANISHES, WATERLOO ROAD, Will Hay's ASK A POLICEMAN .....and this. This is definitely not one of his best but at the time it was an original idea to have several little unconnected stories all eventually converging - in the case of this film, a bus crash. Viewed in that context does make this films historically interesting but as a piece of entertainment, it's not the most enthralling. It just about keeps your interest but some of the mini-stories are much less interesting than others.
That you know from the onset however that they're all going to board the ill-fated bus, you do eventually start to hope that some of them make it out alive and hope to yourself that the really irritating ones don't.
The only reason I can think of watching this is to see lovely Jessie Matthews in a non-singing role. I know she was regarded as a fabulous singer but I cannot stand that style of singing so it's a treat watch her acting without having to endure her warbling. (Americans who are unfamiliar with her, think Jeanette MacDonald). Fortunately Jessie Matthews not not just a pretty face - she was a really fabulous and believable actress as well although because she is so good, she does highlight the inadequacies of some of her fellow cast members ( a few of which are pretty awful).
She was perfectly cast in the role of the flirty showgirl considering 'playing away' from her dull boyfriend (a young Ralph Richardson) as she had recently been involved in a similar real-life scandal where she was 'the other woman.' Back then of course adultery was never the man's fault(!) and the judge in the subsequent divorce case had the audacity to describe her as 'odious' She'd been persona non gratis for a while, so good on her for coming back and playing a role like this - and also alongside her new husband (Sonnie Hale - the bus conductor) whom she took from his previous wife.
Odious! Damn cheek, I cannot think of many 1930s actresses sweeter and lovelier....and indeed, as her outfits get more and more revealing as the film progresses, sexier! Apart from benefiting from her not singing, it's not her best film. A few months earlier she'd worked with the same team (again directed by Victor Saville) in THE GOOD COMPANIONS and a year later in FIRST A GIRL - both better.
And finally - Max Miller! How on earth did he become such a massive star? Why did people find him funny - was something wrong with them?
That you know from the onset however that they're all going to board the ill-fated bus, you do eventually start to hope that some of them make it out alive and hope to yourself that the really irritating ones don't.
The only reason I can think of watching this is to see lovely Jessie Matthews in a non-singing role. I know she was regarded as a fabulous singer but I cannot stand that style of singing so it's a treat watch her acting without having to endure her warbling. (Americans who are unfamiliar with her, think Jeanette MacDonald). Fortunately Jessie Matthews not not just a pretty face - she was a really fabulous and believable actress as well although because she is so good, she does highlight the inadequacies of some of her fellow cast members ( a few of which are pretty awful).
She was perfectly cast in the role of the flirty showgirl considering 'playing away' from her dull boyfriend (a young Ralph Richardson) as she had recently been involved in a similar real-life scandal where she was 'the other woman.' Back then of course adultery was never the man's fault(!) and the judge in the subsequent divorce case had the audacity to describe her as 'odious' She'd been persona non gratis for a while, so good on her for coming back and playing a role like this - and also alongside her new husband (Sonnie Hale - the bus conductor) whom she took from his previous wife.
Odious! Damn cheek, I cannot think of many 1930s actresses sweeter and lovelier....and indeed, as her outfits get more and more revealing as the film progresses, sexier! Apart from benefiting from her not singing, it's not her best film. A few months earlier she'd worked with the same team (again directed by Victor Saville) in THE GOOD COMPANIONS and a year later in FIRST A GIRL - both better.
And finally - Max Miller! How on earth did he become such a massive star? Why did people find him funny - was something wrong with them?