Reluctant Heroes

For other uses, see Reluctant hero.

Reluctant Heroes is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Ronald Shiner, Derek Farr and Christine Norden. It is based on the popular farce of the same title by Colin Morris.^[2][3] The play, which had its West End premiere at the Whitehall Theatre in September 1950, was the first of the Brian Rix company's Whitehall farces.^[4] The film was shot at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith in West London. Its sets were designed by the art director Wilfred Arnold.

Reluctant Heroes
Australian daybill poster
Directed by	Jack Raymond
Written by	Colin Morris
Based on	Reluctant Heroes by Colin Morris
Produced by	Henry Halstead
Starring	Ronald Shiner Derek Farr Christine Norden
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Helen Wiggins
Music by	Tony Lowry
Production company	Byron Films
Distributed by	Associated British-Pathé
Release date	11 February 1952 (1952-02-11)
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£45,000[1]

Plot summary

This comedy is set in an army boot camp. It displays a drill sergeant who must somehow turn an inept group of recruits into real soldiers.

Cast

• Ronald Shiner as Sergeant Bell
• Derek Farr as Michael Tone
• Christine Norden as Gloria Dennis
• Brian Rix as Horace Gregory
• Larry Noble as Trooper Morgan
• Betty Empey as Pat Thompson
• Angela Wheatland as Penny Roberts
• Anthony Baird as Sgt. McKenzie
• Colin Morris as Captain Percy -
• Elspet Gray as Lieutenant Virginia

Reception

Box office

The film is listed in the 12 most popular films at the British box-office in 1952, in an article in the Sydney Sunday Herald that cited Ronald Shiner as the UK's favourite film star of the year.^[5][6] It earned ten times its budget.^[1]

Brian Rix asserts in his autobiography that it was the UK's top box office film of the year.^[7]