''Command Performance'' is a 1937 British

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Sinclair Hill Sinclair Hill (10 June 1896 – 6 March 1945) was a British film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed nearly fifty films between 1920 and 1939. He was born as George Sinclair-Hill in London in 1894. He was awarded an OBE for his servi ...

and starring

Arthur Tracy Arthur Tracy (25 June 1899 – 5 October 1997) was an American vocalist and actor, billed as The Street Singer. His performances in theatre, films and radio, along with his recordings, brought him international fame in the 1930s. Late evening r ...

Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer (; born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Hollywood productions, earning a Golden Glob ...

and Mark Daly. It was based on a play by Stafford Dickens. Like '' The Street Singer'', which was released the same year, it was designed as a vehicle for Tracy who performs a number of songs during the film. It was made at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to ...

.Wood p.94

Plot

Growing tired of his life of fame, a singer runs away from a domineering manager and goes to live with a group of gypsies. A massive

manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhunt ...

is whipped by the press to find him so that he can shoot the final scenes of his latest film.

Cast

as Street Singer *

as Susan * Mark Daly as Joe * Rae Collett as Betty *

Finlay Currie William Finlay Currie (20 January 1878 – 9 May 1968) was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television.McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. pp. 175-176; He rec ...

as Manager *

Jack Melford John Kenneth George Melford Smith (5 September 1899 – 22 October 1972) was a British stage, film and television actor. Biography Melford was the younger brother of screenwriter and film director Austin Melford. On stage from the age of 12 ...

as Reporter * Stafford Hilliard as Sam *

Julian Vedey Julian Vedey (b. Warwickshire, 1898– d. Worthing, 1967) was a British actor. Selected filmography * '' Romance in Rhythm'' (1934) * ''Cafe Mascot'' (1936) * '' Strange Cargo'' (1936) * '' Full Speed Ahead'' (1936) * '' Command Performance'' (19 ...

as Toni *

Phyllis Stanley Phyllis Stanley (30 October 1914 – 12 March 1992) was a British actress. Personal life During World War II, she shared a flat in West End of London with the Scottish heiress Jane Corby. Partial filmography * ''Leave It to Blanche'' (1934) ...

as Olga

References

Bibliography

*Low, Rachael. ''Filmmaking in 1930s Britain''. George Allen & Unwin, 1985. *Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927–1939''. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

* 1937 films 1930s musical drama films British films based on plays Films directed by Sinclair Hill Films shot at Pinewood Studios British musical drama films Films set in England British black-and-white films 1937 drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{musical-drama-film-stub