Margaret Lockwood was Britain's most popular actress during the 1940s. She had been in films since 1934 but "Bank Holiday" was a turning point. Directed by up and coming Carol Reed and giving her a three dimensional, sympathetic part, it was a great critical success and bought Margaret her first real recognition and a 6 year contract from Gainsborough. "Bank Holiday" was one of those "slice of life" movies that Britain did so well. Although Margaret had the main role it also introduced a comical family May (Kathleen Harrison) and Arthur (Wally Patch) and their brood of noisy children that were the prototypes of the Huggetts.
The war in Europe might be threatening but seaside hotels expect a bumper crowd for the Bank Holiday. Geoffrey (Hugh Williams) is waiting impatiently at the train station for Katherine (Margaret Lockwood) who has consented to spend the weekend away with him at Bexborough. She is a nurse and is working late, trying to comfort a new father, Stephen (John Lodge) whose wife (beautiful Linden Travers) has just died in childbirth. When Kath finally joins Geoff in the train she has gone quite cold on the idea of a naughty week-end - she cannot help thinking of Stephen, who was in a suicidal state when she left the hospital. They spend an uncomfortable night on the beach because Geoff has omitted to book a room.
Among the beach dwellers (half the population it seems) are a couple of girls down for the Miss Britain contest and a family and their boisterous brood. (Kathleen Harrison became Mrs. Huggett in a similarly styled movie - "Holiday Camp" (1948)). By the time Geoff finds a room at the "Grand" Kath has gone back to London and he has found solace with Doreen - one of the beauty pageant girls, who is also nursing a broken heart. Kath is not out of the story - she has accepted a lift to London (she left her purse at the "Grand") with the beauty contest manager, who is running away with the prize money. He finally admits to the police that Kath had no part in the robbery and she is quickly rushed to London with a police escort - just in time to save Stephen's life.
This is a wonderful film with some memorable performances including Kathleen Harrison as the harassed but, by the end, triumphant May and Rene Ray (who had scored a hit in "The Passing of the Third Floor Back" (1935)) as Doreen, the accident prone beauty contestant.
Highly Recommended.
The war in Europe might be threatening but seaside hotels expect a bumper crowd for the Bank Holiday. Geoffrey (Hugh Williams) is waiting impatiently at the train station for Katherine (Margaret Lockwood) who has consented to spend the weekend away with him at Bexborough. She is a nurse and is working late, trying to comfort a new father, Stephen (John Lodge) whose wife (beautiful Linden Travers) has just died in childbirth. When Kath finally joins Geoff in the train she has gone quite cold on the idea of a naughty week-end - she cannot help thinking of Stephen, who was in a suicidal state when she left the hospital. They spend an uncomfortable night on the beach because Geoff has omitted to book a room.
Among the beach dwellers (half the population it seems) are a couple of girls down for the Miss Britain contest and a family and their boisterous brood. (Kathleen Harrison became Mrs. Huggett in a similarly styled movie - "Holiday Camp" (1948)). By the time Geoff finds a room at the "Grand" Kath has gone back to London and he has found solace with Doreen - one of the beauty pageant girls, who is also nursing a broken heart. Kath is not out of the story - she has accepted a lift to London (she left her purse at the "Grand") with the beauty contest manager, who is running away with the prize money. He finally admits to the police that Kath had no part in the robbery and she is quickly rushed to London with a police escort - just in time to save Stephen's life.
This is a wonderful film with some memorable performances including Kathleen Harrison as the harassed but, by the end, triumphant May and Rene Ray (who had scored a hit in "The Passing of the Third Floor Back" (1935)) as Doreen, the accident prone beauty contestant.
Highly Recommended.