Demobbed (1944 film)

Demobbed
Demobbed
Directed by	John E. Blakeley
Written by	Story and scenario:; Roney Parsons ; Anthony Toner; original story:; Julian Cantor; Max Zorlini; comedy sequences devised and arranged by:; Arthur Mertz
Produced by	F.W. Baker; John E. Blakeley
Starring	Norman Evans; Nat Jackley; Dan Young; Betty Jumel;
Cinematography	Geoffrey Faithfull
Edited by	Ted Richards
Music by	Percival Mackey
Production; company	Mancunian Films & Butcher's Film Service (co-production)
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service (U.K.)
Release date	19 June 1944 (U.K.);
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Demobbed is a 1944 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Norman Evans, Nat Jackley, Gus McNaughton and Dan Young.^[1]^[2] It was written by Roney Parsons and Anthony Toner from an original story by Julian Cantor and Max Zorlini.

Plot

A group of demobbed ex-soldiers find work at a company that makes scientific instruments. When things start to go missing, Norma, a company secretary, enlists their help in tracking down the thieves.

Cast

Norman Evans as Norman
Nat Jackley as Nat
Dan Young as Dan
Betty Jumel as Betty
Tony Dalton as Billy Brown
Jimmy Plant as Graham
George Merritt as James Bentley
Fred Kitchen as Black
Arthur Hambling as Curtis
Gus McNaughton as Capt. Gregson
Marianne Lincoln as Marianne
Anne Firth as Norma Deane
Neville Mapp as John Bentley
Webster Booth as himself
Anne Ziegler as herself
Sydney Bromley as BBC announcer
Kay Lewis as Norman Evan's partner
Freddie Watts as landlord of the Red Lion
Edgar Driver as the bookie
Noel Dainton as Police Inspector
Marjorie Gresley as the mother
Angela Glynne as the child

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The film might prove amusing to those who like music-hall turns, an Hawaiian dance being quite funny, but during some of the other acts the humour is so grotesque as to make one feel quite uncomfortable."^[3]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Rowdy, good-humonured musical comedy burlesque covering the hectic misadventures of four crazy ex-privates in Civvy Street. There is not much of a plot, but the principal comedians make a lively and versatile team, the well-timed music and dance-hall sequences are bright, the climax carries a kick and the technical presentation is above reproach. ... True, the mixture of slapstick, song and music-hall is occasionally rough and ready, but enthusiastic teamwork and first class technical presentation, nevertheless, permit the whole to merge into good-hearted, entertainment-filled comedy burlesque."^[4]

TV Guide called it an "Occasionally okay slapstick comedy."^[5]

References

^ "Demobbed". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
^ BFI.org
^ "Demobbed". The Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 11, no. 121. 1 January 1944. p. 27 – via ProQuest.
^ "Demobbed". Kine Weekly. Vol. 324, no. 1923. 24 February 1944. p. 28 – via ProQuest.
^ "Demobbed". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016.

External links

Demobbed at IMDb

[BFIsearch-1] "Demobbed". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 8 January 2025.

[2] BFI.org

[3] "Demobbed". The Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 11, no. 121. 1 January 1944. p. 27 – via ProQuest.

[4] "Demobbed". Kine Weekly. Vol. 324, no. 1923. 24 February 1944. p. 28 – via ProQuest.

[5] "Demobbed". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016.

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