Midshipman Easy (1935)

Midshipman Easy is directed by Carol Reed and adapted to screenplay by Anthony Kimmins from Frederick Marryat's novel Mr Midshipman Easy. It stars Hughie Green, Margaret Lockwood, Harry Tate and Robert Adams. Produced by Thorold Dickinson with music by Frederick Austin and cinematography by John W. Boyle.

Young and precocious Master Easy (Green) joins the Royal Navy as a midshipman aboard HMS Harpy. He finds it difficult to adjust to the Navy life and quickly finds himself in trouble. However, when smugglers, pirates and a storm come into the ship's midst, Master Easy and his pals prove adept at seamanship and bravado.

With a minuscule budget and filmed primarily at Ealing Studios, Midshipman Easy is indicative of the quota quickie formula back in the day. Clocking in at just 74 minutes, film is brisk, loud and fervent to the popular source material. It plays out as a series of boys own escapades, with that comes a negation of the toughness of nautical life during the Napoleonic Wars. So forget any hope of depth and prepare for boyish derring-do that's cloaked by the arrogance of youth.

Charming if not now managing to stir the blood, it's a good enough time filler, but ultimately it's only one to tick off for Reed and Lockwood completists. 6/10