Figure 1.--Shockingly happy movie about World War II on the home front in England, first during the blitz in London and later in the country. The movie is seen through the eyes of a young boy, Bill (Sebastian Rice Edwards), who sees it as a great lark. He is a quiet sensitive boy, an observer not a hero.

Shockingly happy movie about World War II on the home front in England, first during the blitz in London and later in the country. The movie is seen through the eyes of a young boy, Bill (Sebastian Rice Edwards), who sees it as a great lark. He is a quiet sensitive boy, an observer not a hero. Bill plays his part well and is a very appealing actor. He wears shorts, the baggy 1940s type with kneesocks and sandals. He is seen in his school uniform with peaked hap and is delighted to find that his school has been bombed. All in all a beautifully done childhood remembrance. Sebastian plays his part beautifully, but reportedly tried to quit during the filming and had to be talked into continuing. He refused, for example, to do a skinny dipping scene.

Filmology

Cast

The main character, Bill, is played by Sebastian Rice Edwards, who sees the War as a great lark. He is a quiet sensitive boy, an observer not a hero. Bill plays his part well and is a very appealing yong actor. In fact it is his performance that makes this a very special movie. Sebastian plays his part beautifully, but reportedly didn't enjoy making the movie. I'm not sure just why. He tried to quit during the filming and had to be talked into continuing. He refused, for example, to do a skinny dipping scene.

Plot

This is a beautifully done childhood remembrance, a shockingly happy movie about World War II on the home front in England, first during the blitz in London and later in the country. The movie is seen through the eyes of a young schoolboy, Bill. The film is filled with memorable scenes. There is a scene where the children are in the school's air raid shelter. They are wearing their gas masks and reciting their tables. [HBC note: During the Blitz, everyone was required to carry a gas mask, including the children.] At first Bill and his younger sister are to be evacuated. Their mother changes her mind about evacuation at the last minute. [HBC note: Britain evacuated most of the children living in the larger cities during the War to country and small village families who took them in.] While Bill was not evacuated, but when the family's house was destroyed in the bombing, they went to live with their excentric grandfather who lived in the countryside. He spent some time there with him. In one scene grandfather has a vegetable garden. There is a field mouse in the cabbage patch. The boys grandfather pulls out 6 bore right at breakfast. There is an almighty bang as grandfather fires the gun right accross the breakfast table. The silence that follows is broken by the boy who says to his grandfather, 'I think you winged it grandfather!' Bill returned to his school in London in September 1940 for the start of the new term. He was very sad to leave the countryside. He arrived at the school to see a sight which is every school boys dream. It had been bombed and was still smoldering. The school children are jumping with glee at this scene. He, like all the rest of the children, is very happy to witness this.

Costuming

The film is very carefully costumed and the fashions worn by English boys during the War are shown in great detail. Bill wears short trousers, the baggy 1940s type with kneesocks and sandals. He is seen in his school uniform with peaked hap and is delighted to find that his school has been bombed. The final section of the film occurs at grandfather's house during the summer. Bill enjoys the relative freedom of the countryside and his quirky grandfather popping off rats with his shotgun at the breakfast table. If I recall correctly, Bill for the summer wears sneakers without socks.

Reader Comment

An English reader writes, "Nice to see a page on this film. It is one of my favorite movies. I saw it when it first came out. I'm particularly fond of the scene where his gang initiation involves saying any swear words he knows. He only knows the 'F' word which shocks all the other boys into solemnity and the gang leader says to him "That word is special - it's only used for something really important"; it turns out it's used by them as a danger call. Great fun."

An actual evacuee writes, "The film wonderfully captures boyhood experiences at the time. I was evacuated from London at the beginning of the war and, in my absence, a parachute mine landed on my school at the bottom of the street and flattened it. The schoolboy's dream - and I missed it! I saw the 'F' word written on the wall in a park, where I had been evacuated to and asked a local boy what it meant. I can still hear the awe in his voice as he replied, "Cor! That's the worst swear word in the world!" Oh the innocence of those days! In both senses of 'innocence'."

Created: October 30, 2002
Last updated: 8:21 PM 1/18/2008