adeUK

January 8th marks the 100th anniversary of this accomplished actor. As a kid, and being a fervant Doctor Who fan, I would scan the credits of films listed in the Radio and TV Times for familiar actors and would watch any film he appeared in. Hence an early introduction to Carry On films, Odd Man Out, Heaven's Above and later, Brighton Rock.

Judging by the letters pages in early 1950s Picturegoer magazines, he was one of the most popular character actors and "heavies" of the time, yet his reputation both professionally and personally seems heavily overshadowed by his later television role.

Should I be surprised that his centenary hasn't been marked more widely, given the durability of the character he created in 1963? Are there any neglected films I should catch up with (I confess to enjoying the daftness of "And the Same to You")? He made a film with Peter Lorre, which seems an intriguing combination . . .

AdeUK

Steve Crook

If you haven't seen it, try The Bells Go Down (1943). It's mainly a vehicle for Tommy Trinder to do his usual chirpy Cockney character, but he does it well. But it's also the story of the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service), the volunteer firemen who helped protect things while London burnt in the Blitz.

Billy Hartnell (as he is billed) plays a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and so is one of the few people there with any experience of what modern warfare is really like. The others think it will be a lark - at first.

It's a sort of dramatised partner to the documentary Fires Were Started and like the documentary, gives a very good idea of what like was like in the East End of London during the Blitz.

Other players include James Mason as the professional fireman tasked with knocking the volunteers into shape, Finlay Currie as their district officer and Melvyn Johns as the "Pvt Walker" type who keeps having to nip off to take a delivery of some contraband.

An Ealing film with some laughs, but overall, definitely not a comedy

Steve

adeUK

Thanks, I'll look out for that: isn't it an Ealing? It's part of the Tommy Trinder box set that's coming out soon. I've only seen Champagne Charlie, so it looks worthwhile.

bas

Brighton Rock is a favorite of my mine A classic film.

Nick Dando

Another to look out for is The Way Ahead where he plays an apparently sadistic sergeant.

Oh and Hell Drivers, of course.

Nick

MrT

"The Agitator" (1944) and "Apointment with crime" (1945) both gave William Hartnell lead roles when he was under contract to British National. Neither of these films have ever been shown on UK tv, but have been available on NTSC VHS tape from the US (I'm not sure about their current availability). Both are worth tracking down, Hartnell turns in his usual hard edged if somewhat unsympatheitic performance. "The Agitator" has a theme not unlike the more widely known "Chance of a lifetime" with Bernard Miles, in which a bitter factory employee (Hartnell) unexpectedly gets the chance to run a factory, ultimately failing and having to eat humble pie in order to get things back on track. The earliest screen appearance that I have from him is "Murder at Madame Tussaud's" in which he is credited as "Billy Hartnell", very much a brief supporting role. An even earlier item is a 12" 78 rpm record from 1930 - a sketch called "The missing bus", which I imagine pre-dates his film career. I have a copy somewhere amongst my 10 000 records.......

Mike (MrT)

stevie boy

apparently is a clue, great film and a great performance from Hartnell.

Tom Bancroft

The Way Ahead was shown on British TV a couple of weeks ago (can't remember which channel - maybe TCM) but don't worry, it will soon be around again!
The story of a group of chaps from various walks of life being trained and then sent to fight in WW2 is both entertaniing and interesting.

"I want to be a sailor - sailing out to sea"

Steve Crook

The Way Ahead (1944) was developed out of The New Lot (1943) which was made as an Army training short (25 mins) but its downbeat message wasn't liked by the Army so Ustinov remade it commercially (where the Army had no control) as The Way Ahead.

The New Lot was released along with The Next of Kin (1942) by DD Home Entertainment as part of an Imperial War Museum official collection.

To reference this thread, Billy Hartnell isn't in The New Lot.

Steve