Bless 'Em All (film)

Bless 'Em All is a 1948 British musical comedy second feature (B movie)^[1] film directed by Robert Jordan Hill and starring Hal Monty and Max Bygraves.^[2][3] It was written by Aileen Burke, Leone Stewart and Arthur Dent. John Guillermin was an associate producer.^[4]

Bless 'Em All
Directed by	Robert Jordan Hill
Written by	Aileen Burke Leone Stewart Arthur Dent
Produced by	Arthur Dent John Guillermin (associate producer)
Starring	Hal Monty Max Bygraves
Production company	Robert Jordan Hill Productions (as Advance)
Distributed by	Adelphi Films
Release date	July 1948 (1948-07)
Running time	79 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

In the Second World War Skimpy, Tommy and Jock meet at their army call-up medical and are assigned to the same unit. Tommy is soon in trouble with bad-tempered Sergeant Willis. Later Tommy falls for ENSA singer Val, then discovers she has a date with Willis. Posted to France, Skimpy takes a fancy to Lisette, to find that Willis used to be her admirer. Returning to France after the 1940 retreat, the friends meet again.

Cast

• Hal Monty as Skimpy
• Max Bygraves as Tommy
• Jack Milroy as Jock
• Sybil Amiel as Lisette
• Les Ritchie as Sergeant Willis
• Stan White as Corporal
• Pat Linova as Val
• Peter Williams as army doctor

Production

It was the first of two Adelphi Films to star Hal Monty as Skimpy. It was also the screen debut of Max Bygraves.^[5]

Music

The film contains the songs "Bless 'Em All", "I'll be Seeing You", "Siegfried Line", "Boom", "All's Well Mademoiselle", "Hi-Di-Hi", "Victory Waltz", "Maggie Cock-A-Bendy", I'm Afraid to Love You" and "What More Can I Say".^[6]

Reception

The film appears to have been reasonably popular.^[5]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The film is a skit on the old Army life, and is extremely funny in the parts which are not too-long-drawn-out. Army entertainments serve to provide the three friends with a reason for doing individual variety acts which are really the best part of the film. Hal Monty's impersonation of a silent film audience is particularly good; but the film as a whole is amateurish and technically below average. Les Ritchie is excellent as the sergeant, but Hal Monty, Max Bygraves and Jack Milroy, as the three friends, are wasted in a badly photographed, sketchy production."^[7]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Wildly incoherent but cheery low comedy musical extravaganza, dealing with Army life. Hal Monty, the popular radio and music-hall comic, is given his head and his lively interpretations effectively link the crazy strip of stock gags. A trifle long, but funny for the most part, it's a reliable rib-tickler for the industrial masses."^[8]

Preservation status

The film was included on the British Film Institute's 75 Most Wanted list of lost films, with only a two-and-a-half minute trailer known to survive.^[3] In 2012 the BFI reported that they had been notified of a cut-down version titled Be Kind Sergeant available on eBay.^[6]