''Demobbed'' is a 1944 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

John E. Blakeley John E. Blakeley (1 October 1888 – 20 February 1958) was a British film producer, director (film), director and screenwriter, the founder of Mancunian Films. Born in Ardwick, Manchester, son of James Blakeley (born c. 1862; Manchester), and Mar ...

and starring

Norman Evans Norman Evans (11 June 1901 – 25 November 1962) was an English stage and radio comedian, best remembered for his sketches and programmes entitled "Over the Garden Wall". Biography Evans was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, and started his worki ...

Nat Jackley Nat Jackley (born Nathaniel Tristram Jackley Hirsch; 16 July 1909 – 17 September 1988) was an English comedian, comic actor who starred in revue, variety, film and pantomime from the 1920s to the mid-1980s. His trademark rubber-neck dance, sk ...

Gus McNaughton Gus McNaughton (29 July 1881 – 18 November 1969), also known as Augustus Le Clerq and Augustus Howard, was an English film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1930 and 1947. He was born in London and died in Castor, Cambridgeshire, Cast ...

and

Dan Young Daniel Daly Young (19 April 1899 – 1970) was a British comedian and film actor. He featured in a number of Mancunian Films productions often appearing with Frank Randle. Selected filmography * '' Dodging the Dole'' (1936) * '' Calling All Cr ...

. It was written by Roney Parsons and Anthony Toner from an original story by Julian Cantor and Max Zorlini.

Plot

A group of demobbed ex-soldiers find work at a company that makes scientific instruments. When things start to go missing, Norma, a company secretary, enlists their help in tracking down the thieves.

Cast

as Norman *

as Nat *

as Dan *

Betty Jumel Betty Jumel (5 May 190114 October 1990) was a British variety hall entertainer and actress. Early life Betty Jumel was born Amy Ada Beatrice Grimshaw in Fairhaven, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire in 1901. She was only 10 years old when she made h ...

as Betty * Tony Dalton as Billy Brown * Jimmy Plant as Graham * George Merritt as James Bentley * Fred Kitchen as Black *

Arthur Hambling Arthur Hambling (14 March 1888 – 6 December 1952) was a British actor, on stage from 1912, and best known for appearances in the films ''Henry V'' (1944) and ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' (1951). In 1939 he appeared in the West End in N.C. Hunte ...

as Curtis *

as Capt. Gregson * Marianne Lincoln as Marianne * Anne Firth as Norma Deane * Neville Mapp as John Bentley *

Webster Booth Webster Booth (21 January 1902 – 21 June 1984) was an English tenor, best remembered as the duettist partner of Anne Ziegler. He was also one of the finest tenors of his generation and was a distinguished oratorio soloist. He was a choriste ...

as himself *

Anne Ziegler Anne Ziegler (born Irené Frances Eastwood; 22 June 1910 – 13 October 2003) was an English singer, known for her light operatic duets with her husband Webster Booth. The pair were known as the "Sweethearts in Song" and were among the most famo ...

as herself *

Sydney Bromley Sidney Charles Bromley (24 July 1909 – 14 August 1987GRO Register of Deaths: AUG 1987 18 2293 WORTHING - Sydney Charles Bromley DoB = 24 Jul 1909 aged 78), credited as Sydney Bromley, was an English character actor. He appeared in more than s ...

as BBC announcer * Kay Lewis as Norman Evan's partner * Freddie Watts as landlord of the Red Lion *

Edgar Driver Edgar Driver (1 November 188515 September 1964) was a British actor."Edgar Driver"
at BFI.

Selec ...

as the bookie * Noel Dainton as Police Inspector * Marjorie Gresley as the mother *

Angela Glynne Angela Glynne (7 September 1933 in Middlesex, England – 22 April 2008 in Northridge, California aged 74) was a British film actress. Selected filmography * '' Bank Holiday'' (1938) * '' Those Kids from Town'' (1942) * ''Gert and Daisy Clean ...

as the child

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "The film might prove amusing to those who like music-hall turns, a Hawaiian dance being quite funny, but during some of the other acts the humour is so grotesque as to make one feel quite uncomfortable." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "Rowdy, good-humonured musical comedy burlesque covering the hectic misadventures of four crazy ex-privates in Civvy Street. There is not much of a plot, but the principal comedians make a lively and versatile team, the well-timed music and dance-hall sequences are bright, the climax carries a kick and the technical presentation is above reproach. ... True, the mixture of slapstick, song and music-hall is occasionally rough and ready, but enthusiastic teamwork and first class technical presentation, nevertheless, permit the whole to merge into good-hearted, entertainment-filled comedy burlesque." ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' called it an "Occasionally okay slapstick comedy."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0150301, Demobbed 1944 films 1944 comedy films Films directed by John E. Blakeley British comedy films British black-and-white films Films scored by Percival Mackey Films shot in Greater Manchester 1940s English-language films 1940s British films English-language comedy films