Film Review
This highly amusing short film 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.
Despite its dubious patrician intent,
Rush Hour is an amusing
film that gets its message across well - it could so easily
have been a patronising turn off.
It was directed with verve and humour by Anthony
Asquith, one of the most highly regarded British filmmakers of the
period, remembered for such films as
Pygmalion (1938),
The Browning Version (1951) and
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952).
Far from being a dull information film, Asquith makes it an enjoyable
short in which his cruel humour is very much in evidence.
Unfortunately, the lead actress Muriel George is such a likeable screen presence that
you are more inclined to pity her than revile her.
George's down-to-earth personality made her a natural shoe-in for
realist dramas made in Britain during the 1940s, her films including
Cottage to Let (1941) and
Went the Day Well? (1942).
Among the rest of the uncredited cast are some other busy, albeit less well-known character
actors of the period, David Keir, Hay Petrie and Merle Tottenham.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Anthony Asquith film:
We Dive at Dawn (1943)
Film Synopsis
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?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.