jonesus

I watched this film expecting it to be dull and boring but it held my interest right through to the end. It was made at Twickenham Film Studios and they did not go far for the external scenes as the Police station shown is Twickham police station. I think the young actor playing the shop boy also had minor singing career. For a low budget film it is in my opinion worth watching.

As this film got a TV showing in the UK in 2017 I manged to see it. I was a boy when the film was made and visited the Festival of Britain and the Festival pleasure gardens both of which the film is about.

The film is worth viewing to see some of the scenes in London during 1951. Many of the buildings and attractions have since gone. The story is of little interest and is rather sexist.

For those who do not know London, the Festival of Britain was by the Thames on the South Bank. The Royal Festival Hall was built for the festival and is still in use as a concert hall. The pleasure gardens were in Battersea Park, they stayed open for several years after the festival but have now all gone. The BBC used the Aeolian hall for radio shows and the "Goon Show" was a popular comedy show which ran for many years. The Windmill Theater has had many uses, but the building is still there and open with similar entertainment as of past.

Do not expect much entertainment from this film but if you are of an age to remember the people in it and the places they show, you may find it worth looking at once for memories of your younger days!

I went to see this movie back in 1961 when it was first released, and I saw it at a special Midnight Matinée with Cliff Richard on stage in person at the end of the film. He was also in the lobby afterwards. A pleasant enough musical, the title song is sung at Ruisip Lido which was a popular summer venue in the 1960's. It is still there (2014)but swimming is no longer allowed. The theater where the young ones put on their show really was the Finsbury Park Empire which was designed by Frank Matcham a famous British theater architect,the building was standing empty having closed in 1960, the theater was demolished in 1965.So if you are into old theatres the movie serves as a reminder of that building. Some of the dance routines remind one of West Side Story. Although the film was in Cinemascope ratio it did not have stereo sound which is a pity for a musical. Robert Morley plays the part of Cliffs father well and it is fun to see Robert doing a dance routine near the end of the movie. If you like musicals you will probably enjoy this film as long as you do not expect it to be like a big Hollywood production.

I have not really enjoyed the last few James Bond movies, however I still go along to see them hoping that one-day they will return to their former glory. Whilst "Skyfall" is better than the last two, it still falls far short of good James Bond entertainment. The film lacks the large-scale sets, the gadgets, the humour, the glamour, and the escapist scenery. It is dark. Being a Sony (MGM) product, there are plenty of product placements in the film. One advantage of digital film making and projection is that it is possible to have a rock steady picture as there is no film movement in a projector gate. This showed up fairly unsteady camera work in the scenes in some interior shots. As they have by the end of this movie replaced the cast playing all the regular main characters except the actor playing James Bond, I hope in the next film the new Moneypenny, Q, and M will bring back some of the original Bond movie features again. Pity that they did not, whilst replacing the cast, find a new actor for Bond as well. I wonder where the money that they say it cost to make this film was spent. It does not have big sets, or a huge cast. Maybe some of the cast had high fees. Please Bond makers, bring us back the Bond we loved from the earlier decades.

This film is worth seeing as a good account of the Dunkirk evacuation. John Mills gives a fine performance. I agree with a previous comment that more time could have been devoted to the actual evacuation. However the time devoted to the group of UK soldiers moving through France helps to show conditions for the French people. Someone asked about where the Lock was. The Lock on the Thames where the small boatyard scenes were filmed is Teddington Lock. the suspension footbridge is still there as is the weir. Toughs Boatyard which is referred to in the film was on the River Thames at Teddington opposite the lock, it is now I believe demolished and been replaced by riverside apartments. Other scenes were filmed by the River Thames at Twickenham, along the embankment by Twickenham's Eel Pie Island. This still looks pretty much the same if you go there now.(Except for all the parked cars!

John

I enjoyed the film The Majestic, it created a good atmosphere of life in a small US town getting back on it's feet after World War 2 when many of it's young men were lost.

The characters were well acted and typical of the time, with the Town Mayor, the Doctor, staff at the local Cafe/Diner.

The restoration and the re-opening of the "Majestic" movie theater of the title will warm the hearts of lovers of picture palaces, although with TV coming along, (and shown in the film,) one wonders how long the Majestic survives after the film ends.

The sub plot of the main character being suspected of communist activities bring back memories of how the US was so concerned about the communists at that time.

Music is used a lot to create the atmosphere of 1951, although in one scene there is a dance to the music "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White", I thought this was released in the late 50's or early 60's, but I am probably wrong.

The camera work was very acceptable with a lot of use made of shots where the characters are in the background but face the camera and just add to the effect of the scene.

The sound was fine, and the stereo balance good, the voices coming from different speakers during a scene where the main character is recollecting events in his head comes over well.

It's a nice light print with well balance color. The film did not have bad language, sex or violence, so a pleasant change from much of what's showing these days and worth seeing.

And there is a happy ending.......