''Out of the Blue'' is a 1931 British musical film directed by

Gene Gerrard Gene Gerrard (31 August 1892 – 1 June 1971) was an English film and stage actor, and occasional film director. He starred in light musical comedies but returned to his stage career by the 1930s. He was born Eugene O'Sullivan and began as ...

and starring Gerrard, Jessie Matthews and

Kay Hammond Dorothy Katherine Standing, Lady Clements (18 February 1909 – 4 May 1980), known professionally as Kay Hammond, was an English stage and film actress. Family Kay Hammond was born in London, England as Dorothy Katherine Standing, the daught ...

. It was produced by

British International Pictures Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appr ...

at the company's

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

near

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art director

David Rawnsley David Rawnsley (1909–1977) was a British art director. For his last four films, Rawnsley oversaw a scheme to streamline production operations for the Rank Organisation. His innovations were widely ridiculed by the Rank film crews. Despite thi ...

. It was Matthews' first major film role.MacNab p.74 A baronet's daughter falls in love with a

radio star Stellar radio sources, radio source stars or radio stars are stellar objects that produce copious emissions of various radio frequencies, whether constant or pulsed. Radio emissions from stars can be produced in many varied ways. Neutron stars P ...

who is engaged to marry her sister. The film was not a success, but led to Matthews being cast in '' There Goes the Bride'' and given a contract by

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...

. Matthews later wrote in her autobiography, "''Out of the Blue'' was adapted from a stage musical and never should have left the boards." John Orton served as a supervising director.

Plot

Impoverished aristocrat's daughter Tommy Tucker (Jessie Matthews) is in love with radio announcer Bill Coverdale (Gene Gerrard), but he is engaged to her more glamorous sister Angela (Kay Hammond), who he does not love. Seeking escape from this hopeless situation, and her life of genteel poverty, Tommy flees abroad to Biarritz to become a nightclub singer.

Cast

as Bill Coverdale * Jessie Matthews as Tommy Tucker *

as Angela Tucker *

Kenneth Kove Kenneth Kove (1892–1984) was a British actor. He was a regular member of the Aldwych farce team between 1923 and 1930, often in "silly-ass" roles; appearing in '' It Pays to Advertise'' (1923), '' Thark'' (1927), '' A Cup of Kindness'' (1929), ...

as Freddie *

Binnie Barnes Gertrude Maud Barnes (25 March 1903 – 27 July 1998), known professionally as Binnie Barnes, was an English actress whose career in films spanned from 1923 to 1973. Early life Barnes was born in Islington, London, the daughter of Rosa Enoy ...

as Rosa * David Miller as Sir Jeremy Tucker * Fred Groves as Bannister Blair * Averil Haley as Judy Blair *

Hal Gordon Hal Gordon (1894–1946) was a British film actor. A character actor, he appeared in over 90 films in both comic and straight roles. He started off as a lawyer's clerk but finding it dull he decided on the stage, making his music hall debut i ...

as Videlop *

Gordon Begg Gordon Begg (14 January 1868 – February 1954) was a Scottish stage and film actor. During the silent film era he made several films in Hollywood, before returning to Britain. He appeared as William Shakespeare in the 1930 British revue film ' ...

as Mumford

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'' and ''Britmovie'' both called the film "lightweight."

References

Bibliography

* MacNab, Geoffrey. ''Searching for stars: stardom and screen acting in British cinema''. Casell, 2000.

External links

* * 1931 films Films shot at British International Pictures Studios British musical films Films directed by Gene Gerrard British black-and-white films 1931 musical films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films Films set in France English-language musical films {{UK-musical-film-stub