''Save a Little Sunshine'' is a

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

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

Norman Lee Norman Lee (10 October 1898 – 2 June 1964) was a British screenwriter and film director. Selected filmography * '' The Lure of the Atlantic'' (1929) * '' The Streets of London'' (1929) * '' Night Patrol'' (1930, documentary) * '' Doctor J ...

and starring Dave Willis, Pat Kirkwood and

Tommy Trinder Thomas Edward Trinder (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989) was an English stage, screen and radio comedian whose catchphrase was "You lucky people!". Described by Cultural history, cultural historian Matthew Sweet (writer), Matthew Sweet as "a cocky ...

. It was written by Victor Kendall,

Gilbert Gunn Gilbert Gunn (24 March 1905 – 6 December 1967) was a British screenwriter and film director. Career Gunn worked as a playwright and theatrical producer in the 1930s, and then joined the Associated British Picture Corporation as screenwr ...

and Vernon Clancey based on the play ''Lights Out at Eleven'' by Armitage Owen.

Plot

After he is sacked from his job, Dave Smalley buys a share in a hotel, but has to resort to working there when all other financial schemes fail. His girlfriend Pat, however, comes up with the idea of turning the property into a smart restaurant, and business takes off beyond all expectation.

Cast

Production

It was made by

Welwyn Studios Welwyn Studios was a British film studio located at Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. The facility operated between 1928 and 1950. The studios were first constructed by British Instructional Films, and converted to make so ...

, an affiliate of ABC Pictures, at their

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second Garden city movement, garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first New towns in the United Kingdom, new towns (designated 1948). It is ...

Studio. The songs "Save a Little Sunshine" and "Nothing Can Worry Me Now" were composed by

Noel Gay Reginald Moxon Armitage (15 July 1898 – 4 March 1954) known professionally as Noel Gay. was a British composer of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s whose output comprised 45 songs as well as the music for 28 films and 26 London shows. She ...

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: "A sufficient plot and good photography are not enough to support this limp and patchy picture. The dialogue (except for one line) is dull, the slapstick hesitating and the variety turns more than semi-detached." ''

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: "A refreshing and not too pretentious comedy." ''

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 "a harmless entry which offers nothing of value but a few hummable tunes."

References

External links

* 1938 films 1938 comedy films Films directed by Norman Lee 1930s English-language films British films based on plays Films set in England Films shot at Welwyn Studios British comedy films British black-and-white films 1930s British films Films scored by John Reynders English-language comedy films {{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub