The Good Companions **** (1933, John Gielgud, Edmund Gwenn, Mary Glynne, Jessie Matthews, Max Miller) – Classic Movie Review 6141

Director Victor Saville’s delightful and charming 1933 British film musical version of J B Priestley’s funny novel (and Edward Knoblock’s play version) about a concert party on tour stars the formidable team of John Gielgud, Edmund Gwenn, Mary Glynne, Jessie Matthews and Max Miller.

A Yorkshire joiner called Jess Oakroyd (Gwenn), a middle-aged spinster named Miss Elizabeth Trant (Glynne) and a disillusioned music teacher titled Inigo Jollifant (Gielgud) meet the failing concert party the Dinky Doos musical players and join together determined to make those troubadours a hit once more renamed as The Good Companions.

Though evidently made cheaply and obviously dated technically, The Good Companions energetically captures the optimistic spirit of its early Thirties time and showcases some remarkable talents working most spiritedly. It is a lovely old film. The loveable Gwenn is outstanding, and there is also particularly notable work from Matthews as the show’s new star Susie Dean and from Miller as Millbrau.

Also in the vintage cast are Percy Parsons, A W Bascomb, Finlay Currie, Jack Hawkins, George Zucco, Frank Pettingel, Dennis Hoey, Richard Dolman, Wally Patch, Vida Compson, Margery Binner, Florence Gregson, Olive Sloane, Muriel Aked, Cyril Smith, Lawrence Hanray, Ivor Barnard, Annie Esmond and Ben Field.

The Good Companions is written by W P Lipscomb (scenario and additional dialogue), Angus MacPhail (writer) and Ian Dalrymple (writer), shot in black and white by Bernard Knowles, produced by Michael Balcon, T A Welsh and George Pearson and scored by Louis Levy, George Posford and Douglas Furber.

It was remade in 1957 by director J Lee Thompson as The Good Companions.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6141

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