Worm's Eye View

Worm's Eye View is a 1951 British Technicolor comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Ronald Shiner and Diana Dors.^[2] Based on the 1945 play of the same name by R.F. Delderfield, it was produced by Henry Halsted and Byron Films.

Worm's Eye View
Directed by	Jack Raymond
Written by	R.F. Delderfield Jack Marks
Based on	the 1943 play by R.F. Delderfield[1]
Produced by	Henry Halstead
Starring	Ronald Shiner Garry Marsh Diana Dors
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Helen Wiggins
Music by	Tony Lowry Tony Fones
Production company	Henry Halstead Productions (as Byron Films)
Distributed by	Associated British-Pathé (UK)
Release date	April 1951 (1951-04) (UK)
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

The film is set in a family home during World War II. Their bitter landlady is not pleased by five fighters from the Royal Air Force who are staying there and she re-directs unjustly her frustrations against the family. Part of the film appears in the 1948 Rise and Shiner.^[3]

Cast

• Ronald Shiner as Sam Porter
• Garry Marsh as Pop Brownlow
• Diana Dors as Thelma
• John Blythe as Duke
• Bruce Seton as Squadron Leader Briarly
• Digby Wolfe as Corporal Mark Trelawney
• Eric Davies as Taffy
• Everley Gregg as Mrs. Bounty
• Christina Forrest as Bella Bounty
• Jonathan Field as Sydney
• William Percy as Mr Bounty

Original play

The play was first staged in October 1944 by Basil Thomas, of the Wolverhampton Repertory Company. It went on tour the following spring and did well but did not transfer to London due to a shortage of theatres. However in late 1945 the play was put on at the Embassy Theatre in Hampstead and in January 1946 was transferred to the Whitehall, starring Ronald Shiner. The play was a huge success, running for five and a half years, briefly beating Chu Chin Cow as the longest running play in London. In 1952 Drama magazine wrote "There can scarcely be an adult member of the population who is not thoroughly familiar with the doings of this group of R.A.F. billetees during the war."^[4][5]

Production

Filming took place at Hammersmith in late 1950.^[6][7]

Reception

Box office

Worm's Eye View was the sixth most popular film at the British box office in 1951.^[8][9] It was particularly popular in Scotland.^[10]

This encouraged the same production company to film another stage farce with Shiner, Relucant Heroes. This too was a large success.

Critical reception

TV Guide wrote, "some mild amusement is to be found here, particularly in the dialogue, though all in all this is nothing special. British filmgoers thought otherwise, though, making both the film and Shiner big successes."^[11]