Rush Hour (1941) - film review

During WWII, people in Britain are advised to use public transport outside of the rush hour, to allow workers to get home during the busy evening period.  Violet, a selfish middle-aged woman, cannot understand what all the fuss is about.  She won’t be rushed.  Having done her bit of shopping in town, she and her friend settle down for a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake before making their way home.  As expected, Violet’s homeward journey is thwarted by the dearth of buses on the street.  Why can’t they make more buses instead of tanks?  Violet manages to shove her way onto one bus, only to realise that she has caught the wrong one.  As she tries to make her way home, it begins to rain.  Oh, why didn’t she go home early?

This highly amusing short was commissioned by the Ministry of Information in 1940 as a public information film, advising the British public to reserve the use of buses and trains during the rush hour periods to workers.  The film is directed with verve and humour by Anthony Asquith, one of the most highly regarded British filmmakers of the period, and is as entertaining as it is informative.  Unfortunately, Muriel George is such a likeable screen presence that you are more inclined to pity her than revile her...

© James Travers 2010

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