In Which We Serve (1942) - Coward and Lean's marvelous Royal Navy war picture

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A beautifully crafted poster for Noël Coward and David Lean's In Which We Serve

We follow the crew of the destroyer Torrin, which fights the Germans in 1941 as part of WWII but unfortunately suffers shipwreck. This calamity takes place in the film's beginning. After this flashbacks illuminate the captain and navy-men, their families and the time leading up to the battle. 

 

In Which We Serve is written, produced, co-directed and co-composed by debuting great English filmmaker Noël Coward (Brief Encounter (1945, writer)), who also stars in it as the captain. He co-directed it with debuting English master filmmaker David Lean (Great Expectations (1946)). The film was made with the full support of the Ministry of Information as a propaganda effort in support of the ongoing British involvement in the war.

Technically astute, In Which We Serve is a fast-paced and handsomely photographed (by Ronald Neame (The Secret Four (1939))) war drama with striking incorporation of real war images as well as of real sailors as extras. Coward acts with impressive dignity and calm, and John Mills (Deadly Advice (1994)) is also eminent. A young Richard Attenborough (Hamlet (1996)) does fine as a panic-stricken sailor. None of the other men seem to have any faults at all, which may be the only flaw to this great picture.

 

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Noël Coward: The Italian Job (1969) - Braindead boilerplate heist action-comedy regurgitated by swinging London (co-star) 

David Lean: Top 10: Best epic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - One of the greats 

Great Expectations (1946) - Lean's first Dickens adaptation is pure cinema magic 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 240k £, approximately 967k $

Box office: In excess of 3.2 mil. $

= Big hit (projected return of 3.61 times its cost)

[In Which We Serve was released 17 September (UK) and runs 115 minutes. Shooting took place from February - June 1942 in England. Different sources dupe the film the year's most popular at the UK box office, or the second most popular. It reportedly grossed 300k £ in the Commonwealth, approximately 1.212 mil. $, and 2 mil. $ in rentals in North America, where it was also a big hit. With a cautious projected final gross of 3.5 mil. $, the film would rank as a big hit. It was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Picture, lost to Casablanca, and Original Screenplay, lost to Norman Krasna for Princess O'Rourke. Coward won an honorary Oscar for the film, which also won 4 National Board of Review awards. Coward did not direct a feature again but instead racked in credits as a producer, composer, writer and actor. Lean returned with This Happy Breed (1944). As an actor Coward returned with uncredited voice performances in Blithe Spirit (1945) and Brief Encounter (1945) and finally with a physical performance in The Astonished Heart (1950). In Which We Serve is fresh at 90 % with a 7.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of In Which We Serve? 

Great Expectations (1946) - Lean's first Dickens adaptation is pure cinema magic

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Five situations from the film are painted together with hyping assertions added to them on this poster for David Lean's Great Expectations

Pip is a boy who lives with his aunt in the country and visits an old, eccentric woman of wealth and her beautiful, uncouth daughter, when he one day helps an escaped prisoner in the heath, who is found starving.

 

Great Expectations is written by Ronald Neame (Blithe Spirit (1945)) and Anthony Havelock-Allan (Brief Encounter (1945)), - who also produced the film together, - Kay Walsh (Oliver Twist (1948)), Cecil McGivern (Blanche Fury (1948)) and British master filmmaker, co-writer/director David Lean (In Which We Serve (1942)), whose 5th feature it was. It is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' (Bleak House (1952-53)) same-titled 1860-61 novel.

Dickens' masterpiece relates a fantastical story, which grows increasingly complex, as it unfolds in exemplary fashion in Lean's picturesque, super-cinematic screen version. (Cinematography by Guy Green (Diamond Head (1962)).)

Tony Wager (Bluey (1977, TV-series)) and later John Mills (Young at Heart (1980-82)) as Pip and Martita Hunt (The Fan (1949)) as the rich spinster Miss Havisham are especially excellent in the wonderful cast.

Great Expectations is moving, beautiful and grand, and it has several highly memorable scenes. It is a masterpiece in its own right.

 

Related post:

 

David Lean: Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - One of the greats

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 375k £, approximately 1.5 mil. $

Box office: 2 mil. $ (US rentals alone)

= Uncertain

[Great Expectations premiered 16 December (London) and runs 118 minutes. The adaptation was inspired by a 1939 stage version by Alex Guinness, which Lean had witnessed. Shooting took place in England, including London, from September 1945 - April 1946. The film was the 3rd most popular at the British box office in 1947; the most popular in Canada in 1948; and it earned impressive 2 mil. $ in rentals in the US. Regrettably its numbers outside of that are unknown, but it may have been a hit despite its relatively high budget. (The 375k £ cost comes to 1.5 mil. $ with the conversion rate of 4.03 to the pound detailed here.) The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning 2: For Cinematography, B/W, and Art/Set Direction, B/W. It lost Best Director and Best Picture to Elia Kazan for Gentleman's Agreement, and Best Screenplay to George Seaton for Miracle on 34th Street. It also won a National Board of Review award. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Lean returned with Oliver Twist (1948). Mills returned in So Well Remembered (1947); Valerie Hobson (Continental Express (1939)) in Blanche Fury (1948). Great Expectations is fresh at 100 % with an 8.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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