Pack Up Your Troubles (1940 film)
1940 British film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pack Up Your Troubles is a 1940 British second feature ('B')[1] comedy film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Reginald Purdell, Wylie Watson and Patricia Roc.[2] It was written by Milton Hayward, Reginald Purdell and Con West.
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| Pack Up Your Troubles | |
|---|---|
Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Oswald Mitchell |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | F.W. Baker |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Music by | Percival Mackey |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
It takes its name from the First World War marching song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag".
Plot
Garage owner Tommy and ventriloquist friend Eric join the army and travel to France, where they are captured by the Nazis. However, Eric's voice-throwing skills come in handy in engineering their escape and in obtaining top secret information.
Cast
- Reginald Purdell as Tommy Perkins
- Wylie Watson as Eric Sampson
- Patricia Roc as Sally Brown
- Wally Patch as Sgt. Barker
- Muriel George as Mrs. Perkins
- Ernest Butcher as Jack Perkins
- Manning Whiley as Muller
- G. H. Mulcaster as Col. Diehard
Box office
According to Kinematograph Weekly the film "held its own" at the British box office in August 1940.[3]
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The title expresses the whole spirit of this film, which is cheerful, light-hearted nonsense. The somewhat ordinary story is redeemed by excellent acting and the two principals, Reginald Purdell and Wylie Watson, are extremely funny."[4]
Picturegoer wrote: "It is ingenuous stuff, with a mixture of song, sentiment and patriotic conviction. Reginald Purdell and Wylie Watson are quite good as the pals and Patricia Roc makes a pretty heroine. Wally Patch is on his best form as the inevitable bullying sergeant. As burlesque German officers, Meinhart Maur and Manning Whiley are good."[5]
TV Guide called it a "Lightweight comedy worth watching for Purdell's and Watson's nice comic performances."[6]
Sky Cinema wrote, "Not the Laurel and Hardy comedy of the same name but a British romp from the war years, which gave character kings Wylie Watson (best-known for his 'Mr Memory' in Hitchcock's The 39 Steps) and Reginald Purdell a rare chance to blossom into leading roles. They're pretty funny together, too. The story's routine, but the leading lady is a very young and pretty Patricia Roc and some good old music-hall songs include Roll Out the Barrel, Pack Up Your Troubles and Goodbye Sally. Cheerful nonsense."[7]