The Foreman Went to France

Preceding Ealing's marvellous Went the Day Well?, this contribution to the war effort is less imaginative but almost as effective in its more conventional way. Based on fact, it has Evans as a factory foreman sent to France in 1940 and, aided by two soldiers (Trinder, Jackson) and an American girl (Cummings), contriving to spirit vital machinery away from the advancing Germans. Beautifully dovetailing comedy and drama, it is remarkably discreet in its patriotics, aside from a final scene where French refugees nobly give up their possessions to make room for the machines on the last boat out. A pity the efforts of some of the cast - notably Morley - to pass as Frenchmen are disastrous.