It’s a Grand Life *** (1953, Frank Randle, Diana Dors, Dan Young, Michael Brennan) – Classic Movie Review 11,117

Producer-director John E Blakeley’s 1953 low budget British black and white comedy It’s a Grand Life is the cheery final film showcase for vulgar Lancashire music-hall comic Frank Randle, which may be recommendation enough.

It is a thin, feeble, cheap-looking film though, about a dithering, accident-prone old British private soldier (Randle) who does a spot of matchmaking in the setting of army life in the Essex Regiment.

Diana Dors also stars as a glamorous, randy Women’s Royal Army Corps corporal, Corporal Paula Clements, whom Randle rescues from the advances of the predatory sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. O’Reilly (Michael Brennan), to bring her together with his adoring buddy soldier. Dors is certainly another recommendation, though this film was not much of a career move for her.

She was paid £1,000 for five weeks’ work, also her pay for Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? She said: ‘I loathed the script and everything about it’ but her husband and then manager Dennis Hamilton insisted she did the film. The script was written by Randle and H F Maltby Dors said she got along with Randle, but that his drinking and temperament held up production.

More recommendations are lots of old British musical hall jokes and even older songs, plus a precious glimpse of the popular pianist Winifred Atwell at the piano (performing Dixie Boogie, Five Finger Boogie and Britannia Rag), as well as the professional wrestler Jack Pye in a wrestling match.

The film was shot in Manchester, England, in the studio at Film Studios, Manchester, and at Xaverian College, Lower Park Road, Rusholme, Manchester, for the scene of army square bashing and for the army camp.

Regrettably, however, music hall legend Randle was a regional comedian who did not find favour outside the north of England. Randle had starred in a series of World War Two army comedies, including Somewhere in England (1940), Somewhere in Camp (1942), Somewhere on Leave (1942), Somewhere in Civvies (1943), Somewhere in Politics (1949).

Private Pendergast is played by Arthur White (born 1933), elder brother of David Jason.

Also in the cast are Dan Young, Michael Brennan, Jennifer Jayne, John Blythe, Anthony Hulme, Charles Peters, Arthur White, Ian Fleming, Ruth Taylor, Winifred Atwell and Jack Pye.

Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,117

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