No Time for Tears (film)

Written byAnne Burnaby
Frederic Gotfurt

Based onan original story by Anne Burnaby

Produced byW.A. Whittaker

No Time for Tears
British theatrical poster
Directed by	Cyril Frankel
Written by	Anne Burnaby Frederic Gotfurt
Based on	an original story by Anne Burnaby
Produced by	W.A. Whittaker
Starring	Anna Neagle George Baker Sylvia Syms Anthony Quayle
Cinematography	Gilbert Taylor
Edited by	Gordon Pilkington
Music by	Francis Chagrin
Production company	Associated British Picture Corporation
Distributed by	Associated British-Pathé (UK)
Release dates	8 August 1957 (1957-08-08) (London, England)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

No Time for Tears is a 1957 British drama film directed by Cyril Frankel in CinemaScope and Eastman Color and starring Anna Neagle, George Baker, Sylvia Syms and Anthony Quayle.^[1] It was written by Anne Burnaby and Frederix Gotfurt. The staff at a children's hospital struggle with their workload.^[2]

The interwoven dramas of staff and patients in Mayfield Children's Hospital, where the doctors and nurses are in the business of restoring children's lives. One small child risks losing his sight, while twin boys fool the doctors over which one has appendicitis. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, new nurse Margaret Collier suffers pangs of unrequited love for houseman Dr. Nigel Barnes.

Cast

Anna Neagle as Matron Eleanor Hammond
George Baker as Doctor Nigel Barnes
Sylvia Syms as Nurse Margaret Collier
Anthony Quayle as Doctor Graham Seagrave
Flora Robson as Sister Birch
Alan White as Doctor Hugh Storey
Daphne Anderson as Doctor Marian Cornish
Sophie Stewart as Sister Willis
Patricia Marmont as Sister Davies
Rosalie Crutchley as Theatre Sister
Victor Brooks as Mr. Harris
Angela Baddeley as Mrs. Harris
Jessica Cairns as Lawrie
Carla Challoner as Jenny
Cyril Chamberlain as Hall Porter
Christopher Frost as Peter
Joan Hickson as Sister Duckworth
Michael Hordern as the surgeon
Viola Keats as Mrs. McKenna
Linda Leo as sick child
Jonathan Ley as Timmy Gardener
Lucille Mapp as Maya
Richard O'Sullivan as William Reynolds
Gillian Owen as Night Nurse
Loretta Parry as Jackie
Adrienne Posta as Cathy Harris
Christopher Witty as George Harris
Marjorie Rhodes as Ethel
George Rose as Dobbie
Joan Sims as Sister O'Malley
Hermione Harvey as hospital receptionist

Production

Herbert Wilcox tried to get the rights to the story but they were obtained by Associated British. That company offered a lead role to Wilcox's wife Anna Neagle. It was the first film she appeared in that was not directed by Wilcox for twenty years.^[3]

Reception

Box office

According to Kinematograph Weekly the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957.^[4]^[5]

Critical reception

Monthly Film Bulletin said "No Time for Tears neglects none of the characteristic incidents of the hospital picture: the doctor-nurse affair, the touch-and-go operation, a miraculous recovery, supervision by an all-seeing matron, and medical-student humour are all exploited. But the perfunctory way in which the film assembles its material, its shameless reliance on easy emotionalism and disjointed narrative style, make this little more than a hospital soap opera. It is by no means incompetently made, and within its cosy conventions adequately played; its picture of hospital life, though, conveys a sense less of devotion and dedication than of sickly sweetness."^[6]

The Observer called it "sentimental but not often silly ... its overall tone is kind, the atmosphere cheerful."^[7]

The Evening Sentinel said "there's just about every clinical cliche on the chart."^[8]

Variety called it "a routine comedy-weepie".^[9]

Sky Movies gave the film two out of five stars, and wrote, "this is standard medical soap fare and could be mistaken for a bumper edition of Casualty":^[10] while TV Guide rated the film three out of four stars, and wrote, "Though the situations are clearly out of the movie medical bag, the ensemble manages to rise above clichés and stereotypes. Neagle carries the film as the head nurse, with good support from Syms as the new nurse on her staff".^[11]

Filmink said it "needed less subplots and more soap, but it’s not bad and Syms’ character sings and dances in a random dance number at the end."^[12]

Leslie Halliwell said: "Totally predicatable British tearjerker with a happy ending."^[13]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Hospital soap opera largely steers clear of stickiness into warmth."^[14]

The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "What else could you call a film whose sole intention is to have you blubbing your eyes out from the off? Anna Neagle stars in this mawkish account of life in a children's hospital. If the triumphs and tragedies of the kiddies don't have you reaching for tissues, then the torrid love life of nurse Sylvia Syms certainly will. The members of the cast work minor miracles despite the string of clichés."^[15]

No Time for Tears (film)

Cast

Production

Reception

Box office

Critical reception

References

External links

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