We'll Meet Again (1943 film)

Last updated

We'll Meet Again
"We'll Meet Again" (1943).jpg
Spanish poster
Directed byPhilip Brandon
Written byJohn L. Arthur (script contribution)
James Seymour (screenplay)
Derek Sheils (story)
Howard Thomas (script contribution)
Produced byBen Henry
George Formby (associate producer)
Starring Vera Lynn
Geraldo
Patricia Roc
Ronald Ward
Cinematography Stephen Dade
Edited by Alan Jaggs
Music by Harry Bidgood
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • 18 January 1943 (1943-01-18)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office£89,519 (UK) [1]

We'll Meet Again is a 1943 British musical film directed by Philip Brandon and starring Vera Lynn. [2] The plot is loosely based on the life of its star, otherwise known as Britain's "Forces' Sweetheart". [3]

Contents

Plot

The film is set during the blitz in London.

Peggy (Vera Lynn) is a young dancer in a London music hall. When the audience are invited to stay in the hall during a raid she is invited to sing to entertain them and is praised for her singing voice. Peggy's best male friend Frank Foster is an aspiring songwriter and they work together on new tunes, largely in the big band style. Meanwhile, she encourages the young boy in the family to leave London as part of the evacuation plans.

Although she's reluctant at first to sing, she finally does, debuting with a song "After the Rain".

An old school friend, the kilt-wearing Bruce McIntosh, returns on leave from the Scots Guards and starts to seeing Peggy. However, he confesses his love is for Peggy's friend, Ruth. Peggy reunites them and sings Ave Maria at their wedding.

Peggy and her friend record a demo of a tune they wrote and it accidentally gets played on BBC radio. Frank gets a letter inviting him to the BBC but they explain they are interested only in the singer. Peggy insists, successfully, that they give Frank a contract too.

She quickly becomes a star. She makes a special radio broadcast on St Andrew's Day. She makes a dedication to Bruce and tells him he is a father, but she later is told he did not hear it as he was on patrol and is now missing in action. However it turns out he was only wounded.

Peggy and Frank give an open air concert to several hundred RAF crew, singing "Sincerely Yours" and "We'll Meet Again" and the film ends.

Cast

Critical reception

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We'll Meet Again</span> 1939 song by Hughie Charles and Ross Parker

"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era and resonated with servicemen going off to fight as well as their families and loved ones.

<i>The Show of Shows</i> 1929 film

The Show of Shows is a 1929 American pre-Code musical revue film directed by John G. Adolfi and distributed by Warner Bros. The all-talking Vitaphone production cost almost $800,000 and was shot almost entirely in Technicolor.

<i>The Glass Mountain</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Edoardo Anton, Henry Cass

The Glass Mountain is a 1949 black and white British romantic film drama directed by Henry Cass. It starred Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray and Valentina Cortese. The film was a popular success of its day, and was re-released in the UK in 1950 and 1953. It features acclaimed classical vocalists Elena Rizzieri as herself and Tito Gobbi as himself, with the orchestra and chorus of the Venice Opera House. The theme music by Nino Rota is memorable, and was also a contemporary hit. It was mainly filmed on location in the Dolomites and at Venice's La Fenice Opera House. Co-producer Joseph Janni also co-produced another film shot in Italy, the comedy Honeymoon Deferred, in 1951.

<i>Bottoms Up</i> (1960 film) 1960 British film by Mario Zampi

Bottoms Up is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi, and starring Jimmy Edwards in a spin-off of his TV comedy series Whack-O!, playing the seedy, alcoholic, cane-wielding headmaster of Chiselbury School, a fictional British public school. The screenplay was by Michael Pertwee, with additional dialogue by Frank Muir and Denis Norden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Lynn</span> English singer and entertainer (1917–2020)

Dame Vera Margaret Lynn was an English singer, entertainer and centenarian whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the "Forces' Sweetheart", having given outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India and Burma during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). The songs most associated with her include "We'll Meet Again", "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover", "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "There'll Always Be an England".

<i>Third Time Lucky</i> (1949 film) 1949 British film

Third Time Lucky is a 1949 British crime drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Glynis Johns, Dermot Walsh and Charles Goldner; Michael Hordern appears in the small uncredited role of "2nd Doctor". The film was made by producer Mario Zampi and released by General Film Distributors. It was shot at Twickenham and Southall Studios in West London. It is based on the 1941 novel They Cracked Her Glass Slipper by Gerald Butler

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Ward (actor)</span> British actor (1901–1978)

Ronald Ward was a British actor who, alongside his stage work, appeared in more than twenty British films between 1931 and 1956. He was born in Eastbourne in 1901 as Ronald William Ward, and made his screen debut in the 1931 film Alibi. One of his biggest roles was in the popular Vera Lynn vehicle We'll Meet Again (1943), where he was effectively the male lead, co-starring with Lynn and Patricia Roc.

<i>One Exciting Night</i> (1944 film) 1944 British film

One Exciting Night is a 1944 British musical comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Vera Lynn, Donald Stewart and Mary Clare. The film was also known as You Can't Do Without Love. The screenplay concerns a female singer who becomes involved with a man who is the victim of a kidnap plot.

<i>Old Mother Riley Joins Up</i> 1940 British film by Maclean Rogers

Old Mother Riley Joins Up is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane, Martita Hunt, Bruce Seton and Garry Marsh. It was part of the long-running Old Mother Riley series.

<i>Soft Beds, Hard Battles</i> 1974 film by John Boulting, Roy Boulting

Soft Beds, Hard Battles is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting, starring Peter Sellers, Curd Jürgens, Lila Kedrova and Jenny Hanley. Sellers reunited with the Boulting brothers for this farce, in which the women of a brothel help the war effort to rid the world of the Nazi peril – in the bedroom.

<i>Judgment Deferred</i> 1952 British film by John Baxter

Judgment Deferred is a 1952 British second feature drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Joan Collins, Hugh Sinclair, Helen Shingler and Abraham Sofaer. The film is a remake of the director's earlier film, Doss House (1933).

<i>The Embezzler</i> (1954 film) 1954 British film by John Gilling

The Embezzler is a 1954 British crime film directed by John Gilling, and starring Charles Victor, Zena Marshall and Cyril Chamberlain. It was made as a second feature shot at Twickenham Studios and on location around London. The film's sets were designed by the art director C. Wilfred Arnold.

<i>The Gay Dog</i> 1954 British film by Maurice Elvey

The Gay Dog is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Wilfred Pickles, Petula Clark and Megs Jenkins. The screen-play was by Peter Rogers based on the 1952 play of the same title by Joseph Colton; also starring Pickles and Jenkins, it had run at London's Piccadilly Theatre for 276 performances from June 1952 to February 1953.

<i>Three Little Girls in Blue</i> 1946 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

Three Little Girls in Blue is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring June Haver along with George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, and Vera-Ellen. The 20th Century-Fox film was adapted from Stephen Powys' 1938 play Three Blind Mice and featured songs with music by Josef Myrow and lyrics by Mack Gordon. The score is notable for the first appearance of the song "You Make Me Feel So Young".

<i>Radio Cab Murder</i> 1954 British film by Vernon Sewell

Radio Cab Murder is a 1954 British second feature crime film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Jimmy Hanley, Lana Morris and Sonia Holm. It was made by the independent Eros Films.

"When the Lights Go On Again " is a popular song composed during World War II. It was written by Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler. The first recording, by Vaughn Monroe, reached number one on the charts in 1943.

<i>The Secret</i> (1955 film) 1955 British film directed by Cy Endfield

The Secret is a 1955 British crime drama directed by Cy Endfield and starring Sam Wanamaker, Mandy Miller, and André Morell.

<i>Too Many Cooks</i> (film) 1931 film

Too Many Cooks is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, written by Jane Murfin and starring Bert Wheeler, Dorothy Lee, Roscoe Ates and Robert McWade. It was released on July 18, 1931 by RKO Pictures.

<i>You Cant Beat Love</i> 1937 film by Christy Cabanne

You Can't Beat Love is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Christy Cabanne and written by Maxwell Shane and David Silverstein. The film stars Preston Foster, Joan Fontaine, Herbert Mundin, William Brisbane and Alan Bruce. The film was released on June 25, 1937.

<i>Scattergood Meets Broadway</i> 1941 film by Christy Cabanne

Scattergood Meets Broadway is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Christy Cabanne and written by Michael L. Simmons and Ethel B. Stone. It is the sequel to the 1941 film Scattergood Pulls the Strings. The film stars Guy Kibbee, Mildred Coles, William "Bill" Henry, Emma Dunn, Frank Jenks, Joyce Compton and Bradley Page. The film was released on August 22, 1941, by RKO Pictures.

References

  1. James Chapman ‘The Billings verdict’: Kine Weekly and the British Box Office, 1936–62' Journal of British Cinema and Television, Volume 20 Issue 2, Page 200-238, p 211
  2. "We'll Meet Again | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  3. Vera Lynn. "We'll Meet Again (1942) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  4. "We'Ll Meet Again Trailer, Reviews and Schedule for We'Ll Meet Again | TVGuide.com". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  5. "We'll Meet Again – Sky Movies HD". Skymovies.sky.com. 4 June 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2014.