London Melody

London Melody
Directed by Herbert Wilcox
Produced by Herbert Wilcox
Written by Monckton Hoffe
Florence Tranter
Based on a story by Ray Lewis
Starring Anna Neagle
Tullio Carminati
Robert Douglas
Horace Hodges
Music by Geraldo
Cinematography Freddie Young
Edited by Frederick Wilson
Production
company
Distributed by General Film Distributors
Release dates
 4 February 1937
Running time
 75 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

London Melody is a 1937 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Robert Douglas.[1] It was made at British and Dominions Imperial Studios, Elstree and Pinewood Studios[2] by Wilcox's independent production company and distributed by J. Arthur Rank's General Film Distributors.[3] It was also released with the alternative title Look Out for Love.

Synopsis and production

A musical with a trial. One of several Anna Neagle - Tullio Carminati vehicles of the era, London Melody was one of five films directed within a year or so by Neagle's future husband, Herbert Wilcox. This time around, Carminatti is cast as Marius Andreani, a cultured Italian diplomat. While in London on business, Marius makes the chance acquaintance of boisterous cockney street entertainer Jacqueline (Neagle). It's love at first sight, but hero and heroine must undergo a dizzying series of roadblocks and misunderstandings before the climactic clinch. Meanwhile, Jacqueline rises to the top of show-business success, never dreaming (until the end, at least) that it's all the secret handiwork of faithful Marius.

British and Dominions Imperial Studios was destroyed by fire in the early morning of 9 February 1936, necessitating the move of the production to Pinewood.[2]

Cast

Critical reception

In 1937, The Sydney Morning Herald called it an "attractive and well-acted picture...Produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox in a way that contrasts favourably with Hollywood's efforts in a similar direction...Anna Neagle, a gifted actress, with definite charm and personality, makes a delightful Jacqueline. As the diplomat...Tulllo Carminati lends distinction and poise to his role. Perhaps the best character in the film is the priest, Horace Hodges, a lovable and very human person. Robert Douglas makes a good impression in the rather inconsistent part of Nigel Taplow, Andreani's secretary";[4] whereas more recently, Sky Movies described it as "a very thin musical vehicle for Anna Neagle, bizarrely cast as a cockney street singer. This dated offering...will prove tough going for all but hardened Neagle fans today." [5]

References

  1. ↑ "London Melody (1937)".
  2. 1 2 Warren, Patricia (2001). British Film Studios: An Illustrated History. B. T. Batsford. p. 82.
  3. ↑ Wood p.91
  4. ↑ "22 Nov 1937 - "LONDON MELODY."".
  5. ↑ "London Melody".

Bibliography


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.