Salute John Citizen
| Salute John Citizen | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) | |
| Directed by | Maurice Elvey |
| Produced by | Wallace Orton |
| Written by |
Elizabeth Baron (scenario) Clemence Dane (uncredited) Robert Greenwood (dialogue) |
| Based on | the novels Mr. Bunting and Mr. Bunting at War by Robert Greenwood [1] |
| Starring |
Edward Rigby Stanley Holloway George Robey Mabel Constanduros Jimmy Hanley |
| Music by | Kennedy Russell |
| Cinematography | James Wilson |
| Edited by | Jack Harris |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Anglo-American Film Corporation (UK) |
Release dates | 14 August 1942 (London) (UK) |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Salute John Citizen is a 1942 black and white British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Edward Rigby, Mabel Constanduros and Jimmy Hanley.[2] The Bunting family face up to the fortunes of war during the Second World War.[3]
Plot
The life of an ordinary family during the London Blitz. In the summer before that explosive September, elderly clerk Mr. Bunting (Edward Rigby) loses his job at the Department store where he's worked for over 40 years. George Bunting is the head of a happy home, with wife Mary (Mabel Constanduros), daughter Julie (Peggy Cummins), and two sons, Chris (Eric Micklewood) and Ernest (Jimmy Hanley). When the Blitz hits London, we observe its effect on the family, and how they cope with the crisis. Mr. Bunting is rehired in his former job due to the shortage of manpower, though little else in his life is positive. Daughter Julie goes to work in a factory. The London blitz destroys everything in sight, and one of his sons, Chris, is killed. In the wake of this destruction, his other son, Ernest is converted from pacifism to the war effort.
Cast
- Edward Rigby - Mr. Bunting
- Mabel Constanduros - Mrs. Bunting
- Jimmy Hanley - Ernest Bunting
- Eric Micklewood - Chris Bunting
- Peggy Cummins - Julie Bunting
- Dinah Sheridan - Evie
- Charles Deane - Bert Rollo
- Stanley Holloway - Oskey
- George Robey - Corder
- David Keir - Turner
Reception
Allmovie described the film as " a simple, low-pressure study of the wartime "home front."...in its own quiet, unassuming war, Salute John Citizen paints a truer portrait of a proud populace besieged by war than the more celebrated Mrs. Miniver " ;[4] and TV Guide noted "a nice little film--a simple telling of a modest family's attempts to cope with ongoing conflict." [5] while in his book Typical Men: The Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Cinema, Andrew Spicer concluded that the films "popularity was limited by its obviously frugal budget, and uncharismatic central star." [6]
References
- ↑ "The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film". google.co.uk.
- ↑ "Salute John Citizen (1942)". BFI.
- ↑ "WOrld War II Goes to the Movies & Television Guide". google.co.uk.
- ↑ Hal Erickson. "Salute John Citizen (1942) - Maurice Elvey - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ↑ "Salute John Citizen". TVGuide.com.
- ↑ "Typical Men". google.co.uk.