Cheer Boys Cheer (1939) User Reviews

Beers from the wood beats beers from the metal casks!

[tonypeacock-1 · 7/10 · 12 October 2023]

An enjoyable British film from 1939 is a forerunner to the Ealing comedies to follow post-war from Producer Michael Balcon.

The story concerns a trade dispute between two competing breweries in the London area. Ironside, an expanding brewery brewed with military precision in its metallic brewery and Greenleaf, a more traditional, smaller operation with a more family orientated approach that resists the approaches of the expanding Ironside empire.

What eventually brings the two competing breweries together is a love affair that develops between the daughter of Mr. Greenleaf and the son of Mr. Ironside and the film indeed ends with a merger and wedding.

This pre-war film sheds some light on the wartime footing that England was in. We see the military precision of the Ironside operation complete with the owner reading Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in one scene to the more family orientated Greenleaf operation (the U. K.?).

The film was actually produced and released by a company called Associated Talking Pictures Ltd. That later morphed into the more famous Ealing Studios operation.

Marriott and Moffatt star in this frothy rom com

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 11 September 2010]

Michael Balcon had been partly responsible for the teaming of Marriott and Moffatt with Will Hay when he was head of production at Gaumont British.He now borrowed them along with Nova Pilbeam from Gainsborough who they were contracted to after the collapse of Gaumont British.Despite the fact that the Irish comedian Jimmy O Dea has the main comedy role the duo easily outshine him.You only have to compare their rendering of "Old Obadiah" with O Deas painfully unfunny rendition of Napoleons retreat from Moscow.This was to be the pairs penultimate film together ,there being one more film with Will Hay to come the same year.This is a funny film when they are on screen,less so when O Dea is the focus.Alexander Knox features in a small role as a bookkeeper just a few years before his big break in Wilson.In one strange scene,Edmund Gwenn,head of the rival brewery is shown reading Mein Kampf.What might have gotten a pained laugh then is a rather bizarre interlude.Rarely seen but certainly worth a look.

Can't agree with earlier review.

[JETTCO48 · 5/10 · 9 February 2014]

I can't agree with the earlier reviewer about Marriott and Moffatt . I find two minutes of this pair MORE than enough. Moffatt especially is amateurish and annoying. I'm not keen on O'Dea either. Still acting here as if he were on stage, not on film.

The biggest surprise of this movie is trying to place the voice of our hero, John. I knew I knew that voice from somewhere but, it wasn't until the end credits rolled that I realised the actor was a very young Peter Coke...... The man who gave voice to Paul Temple for all those years on BBC Radio.

Like me, you'll instantly run it back and listen to his voice again...this time with your eyes closed.

"By Timothy" you will !

This is now available on DVD as Volume: 9 of the excellent "Ealing Rarities Collection". It comes with three other movies on the 2 disc set - "Meet Mr Lucifer", "Whom the Gods Love" & "A Honeymoon Adventure".

Roll In The Barrel

[writers_reign · 4 September 2011]

This is yet another thirties British entry that is beyond dire. Unbelievably it took four writers to concoct this brew which may well account for its not knowing whether it's a social commentary, a 'gangster' film in the Warner Bros tradition, an 'modern' take on Romeo And Juliet, or an out-and-out farce. One of the most risible scenes occurs late in the story and is a shameless rip-off of the 'prohibition' dramas from across the pond when one 'gang' is attempting to force its product on a reluctant customer. The big boys at Warners did this with black overcoats, saps, baseball bats and gats; at Ealing they offer a couple of cloth-capped 'bouncers' and the odd soda siphon. Pathetic. At one end we have Edmund Gwenn as a ruthless businessman quite prepared to crush his opposite number - a milquetoast who collects Toby Jugs and whose key staff comprises three so-called comedians about as funny as AIDS, Jimmy O'Dea, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffat. Naturally both businessmen have children and equally naturally one is a young man and one a young woman and - try to look surprised here - they bring the two businessmen together in a last reel in which the two businesses untie. Excruciating.

Cute forgotten comedy

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 29 November 2023]

In this cute, forgotten comedy, all the classic elements are in place: hate-at-first-sight, mistaken identity, lies, family feuds, and a failing business. There's a struggling brewery about to be bought out by a heartless company who would toss out the family element and the souls of the workers. While business mogul Edmund Gwenn sends his son, Peter Coke, to handle the negotiation, he has no idea that his son will fall in love. Nova Pilbeam, the owner's daughter, crashes into Peter's car and makes a terrible first impression. But as they sit there seething, they get a second look at each other. . .

When Peter realizes who the beautiful young lady is, he gives a false name upon introduction so she won't hate him. Do you think everything will go smoothly for the young couple? Though dated and possessing a distinct 1930s flavor to it, if you like that style, this movie is pretty cute. You can easily see a similar situation with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (Fred would, naturally have a tap solo among the beer barrels). Check it out!

Comfortably Numb

[1930s_Time_Machine · 3/10 · 16 February 2024]

This is a pretty terrible film. Ian Darylmple wrote a few superb little comedies and dramas in the thirties but this is one I think he'd rather forget about. It replaces silliness for humour and annoying caricatures for characters. Drivel would be the politest description.

Being made just a few months before the outbreak of The Second World War the analogy of a big nasty mechanical concern threatening a quaint place like John Major's 'land of long shadows on county cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers' is pretty clear. Had the script lived up to the film's clever premise, had it got some teeth, it could have been interesting but everything lets this down.

The whole thing feels just too nice, it lacks any edge or real wit. Michael Balcon had just taken over what would shortly become Ealing Studios and was imposing his gentle, comfortable niceness to the studio's output. Whereas this would eventually result in a handful of great subtle, very English nice, comfy pictures, this one just leaves you comfortably numb.

Besides the stupid unbelievable story another problem with this is its cast. For a comedy there should be at least one comedy actor - this just has a mediocre support cast trying to play lead roles. Worst of all are Marriott and Moffatt whom as foils to the great Will Hay were funny in small doses but as major roles trying to act, they're embarrassingly bad.

The Community of Eccentrics

[boblipton · 8/10 · 1 March 2006]

It's a sharply turned romantic comedy as Peter Coke attempts to sabotage an old-fashioned brewery and woo Nova Pilbeam.

Part of the charm of this movie for me is that I see here one of the forebears of the Ealing comedies of the 1950s -- Ronald Neame worked on this, as well as S.C. Balcon, one of the producers of the prototype of the Ealing community of eccentrics, WENT THE DAY WELL? But is this an actually an Ealing comedy?

Well, yes, it's from Ealing, and it's a comedy. But there is more to being an Ealing Comedy than being a comedy and being from Ealing Studios. Will Hays' last few movies were not Ealing comedies, even if they were produced by Ealing.

So what makes an Ealing Comedy? Many things, but I will focus on one or two points. In many ways, the Ealing comedies were intensely nostalgic for an England that existed only in the artists' minds, from the boys'-series-mad gangs of HUE AND CRY to the sentimental murderers of THE LADY KILLERS to Guinness' betrayed but still still unbowed scientist of THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT. The eccentrics find their support in the other eccentrics, here in the workers of the brewery, who include Will Hays' supporting comics.

Undoubtedly I am reading too much into this; blame, if you will, a taste for academic analysis. But this is a fine romantic comedy and if you have a chance to see it, don't miss it.

Any objections?

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 30 December 2023]

A certain shot in the opening of this obscure British comedy will remind the few viewers of the Milwaukee beer factory that Laverne and Shirley worked at, and I really doubt that anyone involved in that 70's hit managed to catch this on the late, late show. Edmund Gwenn and Peter Coke are the heads of a huge beer manufacturer, fighting the presence of a smaller, friendlier firm that's muscled in on what they believe is their territory. C. V. France, the elderly head of this company, is a loveable old Santa type and Gwenn ("The Miracle on 34th Street") and son are closer to Scrooge and Marley, although Coke reforms later on to betray his father to fight for what's right.

A hysterically embarrassing visit to the rival company for Gwenn has him humiliated, witnessed by France's daughter, Nova Pilbeam, setting up an agenda filled romance for her and Coke, with the Rex Harrison like Coke rather harsh on their first meeting not knowing who she is. A bit of male manhandling is oddly inserted, with him actually spanking her. So there's a bit of a taming of the shrew theme going on, but he's the shrew, and she's the one who's going to bring him down to earth.

Clever in many ways but certainly not without some eye raising moments, becoming charming in spite of that, with Coke hiding his identity from her, like Jimmy Stewart did from Margaret Sullavan did in "The Shop Around the Corner". Lavish sets, sparkling performances and fast pacing helped me really enjoy this, reminding me of some of the better screwball comedies of the golden age. Small moments such as a cuckoo clock ringing just as Coke is about to reveal who he is and synchronized drinking gives this a mood that kept me in a good one. In answering Gwenn's question I use at the top, absolutely none.