Plot Summary - Early British talkie about three characters from different areas of England and walks of life, plus a theatrical troupe who all end up together in the Midlands small town of Rawsley. Older man, Mr. Oakroyd (Edmund Gwenn), just sacked, leaves his family (who want to take in a boarder) and hits the road heading south. Bespectacled spinster-looking Miss Elizabeth Trant - father recently deceased and she left with a pound a week income is being pushed to become a companion to earn her living. She decides, instead, to blow her income, and takes off for an adventure to parts unknown. The third is Inigo (John Gielgud), young master at a school for "sons of gentlemen", who is caught poking fun at an old bitty who runs the school (she likes to serve the staff Sheperd's Pie and prunes). He is asked to resign, so off he goes on his own adventure. The three each run into a character or two while on their individual road trips - a banjo player, a runaway husband and mistress, and a couple of crooks. Soon all three have ended up in the same spot - Rawsley, where they meet up and immediately bond with "the Dinky Doos" - - a broken-down troupe of entertainers who have been stranded in Rawsley without funds. Miss Trant hits upon an idea - use the rest of her money to back the troupe for ten weeks. Luckily, our Inigo happens to be an amateur song-writer/pianist and is given a job with the troupe, and Mr. Oakroyd is also assigned to do "odd jobs". Soon the lot of them are on the road, with the troupe re-dubbed (good troupers one and all) "The Good Companions". Inigo and pretty girl singer Susie Dean (Jessie Matthews) fight, therefore you know they'll soon be sparking - meanwhile, with ambitions to become a "star", Susie asks him to write her a song. Success for both could soon be on the way!!
Review - Entertaining, pleasantly humorous tale, based on a successful stage play by J.B. Priestley. I watched this as a fan of Jessie Matthews - she's very cute and charming, as usual - her part in this film doesn't really get going until the second half of the film, then she pretty much becomes the starring role, dancing and singing a few songs too. I did found the accents (for a few of the characters) hard to understand, but a mild problem at that. Sir John Gielgud is SO young in this, barely recognizable from his films made during his later years, like "Arthur (1981)". Rating - 8.5/10 stars
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