Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases


The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)

Director: Frank Launder

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

With hindsight, this uproarious farce, adapted from a play by John Dighton, heralds a retreat. Throughout the 1940s, Launder and Gilliat had been making ambitious, heartfelt films about ordinary people (Millions Like Us, Waterloo Road), but with the new decade, they began to rely more and more on stylised English humour and stock characters. Sim plays a headmaster who learns that thanks to Civil Service bungling, he's going to share his premises with a girls' school. Vintage moments include Rutherford, the tweedy, formidable headmistress, marching at the head of a column of girls, like Hannibal about to attack the Alps, and Joyce Grenfell's games mistress Miss Gossage ('just call me sausage') banging the school gong with the fervour of a bodybuilder auditioning for Rank.

Author: GM

Time Out Film Guide


What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Ben Drew aka Plan B interview

Ben Drew aka Plan B interview

The singer, rapper and now film director discusses his debut film 'Ill Manors'

Cannes Film Festival 2012: final round-up

Cannes Film Festival 2012: final round-up

Dave Calhoun draws the curtain on the world's greatest film festival

Béla Tarr interview

Béla Tarr interview

The Hungarian auteur tells Time Out why he's quitting

The Palme d'Or effect

The Palme d'Or effect

We explore the fortunes of the past decade’s Palme d'Or winners

Ridley Scott interview

Ridley Scott interview

Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback

Open-air movies in London

Open-air movies in London

Cath Clarke rounds up this summer's crop of outdoor film screenings

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach talks to us about his Cannes Film Festival entry 'The Angels' Share'