Review of This Happy Breed (1944) by Allen D — 05 Jun 2011

The first film credited solely to Lean as director, this is an absorbing and very touching story of an ordinary London family between 1919-1939 written and produced by Noel Coward. The fine cast is led by Robert Newton and Celia Johnson as the parents, Kay Walsh as their wayward daughter and John Mills as the sailor next door.

This is basically a kind of compact soap opera and very appealing thanks to the skills of everyone involved. Ronald Neame's beautiful Technicolor cinematography really kicks this from very good into total classic in my book.

Seeing ordinary folk in a domestic setting in living breathing colour 65 years ago is quite marvellous.