In Which We Serve (1942)

Directors:

Noel Coward
David Lean

Writer:

Noel Coward (writer)

Release Date:

23 December 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

IT STANDS ALONE - The Greatest Of All Motion Pictures! [Australia theatrical]

Plot:

This "story of a ship," the British destroyer HMS Torrin, is told in flash backs by survivors as they cling to a life raft. |

Plot Keywords:

Lifeboat | Destroyer | Knitting | Flashback Sequence | British Navy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Noel Coward	...	Captain E. V. Kinross R.N. / Captain 'D'
Derek Elphinstone	...	No. 1
Michael Wilding	...	Flags
Robert Sansom	...	Guns
Philip Friend	...	Torps
Ballard Berkeley	...	Engineer Commander
Hubert Gregg	...	Pilot
James Donald	...	Doc
Michael Whittaker	...	Sub
Kenneth Carten	...	Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R.
John Varley	...	Secco
Bernard Miles	...	Chief Petty Officer Hardy / Walter Hardy
Caven Watson	...	Brodie
John Mills	...	Ordinary Seaman Blake / Shorty Blake
Geoffrey Hibbert	...	Joey Mackeridge

Runtime:

USA:115 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

D and P Studios, Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Two Cities Films

Trivia:

Noel Coward vetoed the casting of James Mason in a key role because of his stance on the war.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the scene in which two Army officers returning from Dunkirk join Kinross on the bridge of his ship, the way the cigarette smoke rises betrays the fact this scene was shot indoors.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice: [voiceover] This is the story of a ship...
[long sequence of ship-building and launch]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The History Boys (2006)

Noel Cowards' Citizen Kane

The life and times of a British WW2 ship told in flashback. Loosely based on the war time experiences of Louis Mountbatten.

A powerhouse classic that drags you in and doesn't let go for a single second. Not only one of the best war films of all time, but the best told from a navy perspective. Hasn't dated one little bit since it was made in 1942.

Actor/Director (with help from David Lean) Coward made the filming as much like reality as possible and the scenes in the tank almost resulted in the drowning of several of the actors - including Coward himself!

If you haven't seen it you really should because it belongs in the highest rank of world cinema.