The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney films Pinocchio and Fantasia.
Jean Merilyn Simmons was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets," she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the Second World War, followed mainly by Hollywood films from 1950 onwards.
Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE, was a British actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included The Lady Vanishes (1938), Night Train to Munich (1940), The Man in Grey (1943), and The Wicked Lady (1945). She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for the 1955 film Cast a Dark Shadow. She also starred in the television series Justice (1971–74).
The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. In 1946 it was re-named to Combined Services Entertainment (CSE) operating under the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), until 2 March 2020, when the SSVC re-branded to the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), with the CSE likewise re-branding as BFBS Live Events.
Arthur Tracy 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 radio listeners tuned in to hear announcer David Ross' introduction and Tracy's familiar theme song, "Marta, Rambling Rose of the Wildwood."
Bank Holiday is a 1938 British drama film directed by Carol Reed and starring John Lodge, Margaret Lockwood, Hugh Williams and Kathleen Harrison. The film was popular and helped establish Carol Reed's reputation.
Limelight is a 1936 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Arthur Tracy, Anna Neagle and Jane Winton. It was released in the U.S. as Backstage.
Laughing Anne is a 1953 British adventure film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Wendell Corey, Margaret Lockwood, Forrest Tucker, and Ronald Shiner. It was adapted from Joseph Conrad's short story, "Because of the Dollars" and from his 1923 two-act play, Laughing Anne. The film was shot at Shepperton Studios outside London. The film's sets were designed by the art director William C. Andrews and costumes were by Elizabeth Haffenden.
Irish for Luck is a 1936 British comedy film, also known as Meet the Duchess. Made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers, it was directed by Arthur B. Woods and starred Athene Seyler, Margaret Lockwood and Patric Knowles. Adapted from a novel by L.A.G. Strong, in the film an impoverished Irish Duchess tries to survive on her small income.
Alibi is a 1942 British mystery film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Margaret Lockwood, James Mason and Hugh Sinclair. It was based on the novel L'Alibi by Marcel Achard.
My Teenage Daughter is a 1956 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms and Norman Wooland. The screenplay concerns a mother who tries to deal with her teenage daughter's descent into delinquency. It was intended as a British response to Rebel Without a Cause (1955). It was the last commercially successful film made by Wilcox.
Paradise for Two is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Hulbert, Patricia Ellis and Arthur Riscoe. It was released in the U.S. with the alternative title Gaiety Girls. A chorus girl is mistaken for a millionaire's girlfriend.
Public Nuisance No. 1 is a 1936 British musical comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Frances Day, Arthur Riscoe and Muriel Aked. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios. The screenplay concerns a young man who goes to work as a waiter at his uncle's hotel in Nice.
Arthur Riscoe MC was a British stage and film actor.
Old Mother Riley's New Venture is a low-budget black-and-white 1949 British comedy film, starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane and Chili Bouchier. It is the twelfth in the long-running Old Mother Riley films, and was the first of the series to play in London's West End. In addition, it was the first to be released in the US, where it opened in 1952, as Old Mother Riley,.
This is a summary of 1937 in music in the United Kingdom.
For the Love of Mike is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Bobby Howes, Constance Shotter and Arthur Riscoe. It was made at Elstree Studios by British International Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art director David Rawnsley.
Going Gay is a 1933 British musical film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Arthur Riscoe, Naunton Wayne and Magda Schneider. It was made at British and Dominion's Elstree Studios. It was followed by a sequel For Love of You, also released the same year.
Jury's Evidence is a 1936 British crime film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Hartley Power, Margaret Lockwood and Nora Swinburne. It was made at Beaconsfield Studios. It was an early role for Margaret Lockwood.
Emile Boreo was an American actor in theater and film. He became known in the 1930s for his roles in films such as The Street Singer and The Lady Vanishes.
