Just William *** (1940, Dicky Lupino, Fred Emery, Basil Radford, Amy Veness, Iris Hoey, Roddy McDowall, Norman Robinson, Peter Miles) – Classic Movie Review 11,862

Fred Emney (12 February 1900 – 25 December 1980).

Director Graham Cutts’s boisterous 1940 British comedy Just William is based on the beloved stories of Richmal Crompton, and stars Dicky Lupino, Fred Emery, Basil Radford, Amy Veness, Iris Hoey, Roddy McDowall, Norman Robinson, and Peter Miles.

Richmal Crompton’s scruffy, unruly boy hero William Brown (Dicky Lupino) sets out to prove that his politically ambitious father Mr Brown (Fred Emery) faces an unscrupulous and unethical opponent, Mr Sidway (Radford), in the local city council elections.

William and his friends accidentally help two jewel thieves to escape, but then investigate the rival candidate’s conspiracy, causing Mr Brown to win the election.

Just William is a sweet, quite charming, old-fashioned children’s comedy propelled by ideal casting (also Iris Hoey as Mrs Brown, Roddy McDowall as Ginger, Norman Robinson as Douglas, and Peter Miles as Henry).

There are just the right, appropriate raucous, rumbustious performances all round, with Emery and Radford particularly a delight.

It is followed by Just William’s Luck (1947) and William Comes to Town (1948).

The cast are Richard Lupino [Dicky Lupino] as William Brown, Fred Emney as Mr Brown, Basil Radford as Mr Sidway, Amy Veness as Mrs Bott, Iris Hoey as Mrs Brown, Roddy McDowall as Ginger, Norman Robinson as Douglas, Peter Miles as Henry, David Tree as Marmaduke Bott, Jenny Laird as Ethel Brown, Simon Lack as Robert Brown, Aubrey Mather and Eric Searle.

Part of the theatrical Lupino family, Richard Lupino [Dicky Lupino] appeared in a dozen films between 1940 and 1973, making his debut at the age of ten in Just William. Lupino Lane and Stanley Lupino were his uncles, and Ida Lupino was a cousin.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,862

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