Surviving tinted fragment represents pretty much the second half of the film French inn keeper girl Brody, as in Elvey's HINDLE WAKES backed by mother Ault, follows British soldier-sweetheart Longden and his chum Goddard, into the trenches. Square jawed Boche spy officer Heatherly tells the German officers who have caught them that she gave him the date of the offensive, outraging the captured leads.
We get the usual comic O.R. duo sharing their water bottle and British Tommy Longden cleans his nails with his bayonet during the barrage, waiting to go over the top.
Actuality (or presumed actuality) is integrated quite effectively with little generation loss, however the over-running of the enemy trenches is original shooting, a ferocious, messy business. The scenes with the French on the right, integrating more actuality, add to conviction.
The framing story ends in front of a British terraced house home.
Good pacing, OK performances - at least for the British characters - and well chosen angles make this more watchable than most of the work made around it and confirm the view that Maurice Elvey was a neglected talent.
The second half survives in a tinted print.
VIEWED 2003 UK C:29
We get the usual comic O.R. duo sharing their water bottle and British Tommy Longden cleans his nails with his bayonet during the barrage, waiting to go over the top.
Actuality (or presumed actuality) is integrated quite effectively with little generation loss, however the over-running of the enemy trenches is original shooting, a ferocious, messy business. The scenes with the French on the right, integrating more actuality, add to conviction.
The framing story ends in front of a British terraced house home.
Good pacing, OK performances - at least for the British characters - and well chosen angles make this more watchable than most of the work made around it and confirm the view that Maurice Elvey was a neglected talent.
The second half survives in a tinted print.
VIEWED 2003 UK C:29
