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Hue and Cry

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6.3/10 • 44

1947-02-011h 22m

ComedyCrimeAdventure

The Film that Begs to Differ

A gang of street boys foil a master crook who sends commands for robberies by cunningly altering a comic strip's wording each week, unknown to writer and printer. The first of the Ealing comedies.

Directors
Charles Crichton
Editors
Charles Hasse

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Alastair Sim

    Alastair Sim

    Felix H. Wilkinson

  2. Jack Warner

    Jack Warner

    Nightingale

  3. Valerie White

    Valerie White

    Rhona

  4. Jack Lambert

    Jack Lambert

    Ford

  5. Harry Fowler

    Harry Fowler

    Joe Kirby

  6. Douglas Barr

    Douglas Barr

    Alec

  7. Stanley Escane

    Stanley Escane

    Roy

  8. Ian Dawson

    Ian Dawson

    Norman

  9. Gerald Fox

    Gerald Fox

    Dicky

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Nov 10, 2022

7/10

This is one of the lesser known Ealing comedies and it has something of the Children's Film Foundation output to it too, as the youngsters cotton on to a dastardly plan to use the narrative bubbles in a children's comic to convey messages that unwittingly to the publisher and animator facilitate daring robberies. It's only when the young "Joe" (Harry Fowler) and his mates start to put two and two together, and with the help of "Felix" (Alastair Sim) they start to hone in on the kingpin - safe in the knowledge that he is close amongst them and will not go quietly if he is discovered. The humour is dark, subtle and personable, as are the efforts from Jack Warner ("Nightingale") and it is set in a wonderfully gritty post war, bombed-out London full of craters and ruins in which to set the increasingly enjoyable scenario. The youngsters gel well together too, a team effort with the odd red herring and plenty of fisticuffs that compensate for the nor terribly high production standards (especially the tinny audio). Remembering the environment in which it was made, it's a remarkably enjoyable and light-hearted indication that war was over and that the sunlit uplands were again on the horizon. Good fun.

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  • Hue and Cry poster
  • Hue and Cry poster
  • Hue and Cry poster
  • Hue and Cry poster
  • Hue and Cry poster
  • Hue and Cry poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
gang leadergangboysaction adventurebombed buildinglightheartedcity in ruinsoptimistic