Holiday Camp

Surprisingly unpatronising in its portrayal of the working classes triumphing over organised leisure, Annakin's kaleidoscope of life in a Butlin's concentration camp reflects something of the populist feeling which swept the Labour Party to victory in 1945. Time has mellowed the documentary quality of the film, and location shooting and authentic detail now seem less important than the presence of the whole range of British acting talent, from Dame Flora Robson to Cheerful Charlie Chester, among the cast of thousands. Annakin is able to build up a microcosm of British society, with Price's killer airman embodying post-war anxiety, and acting as a sinister antidote to Warner and his Huggett family. The only thing missing is the presence of voluptuous Jean Kent, struck down by flu on the inhospitable East Coast location.