Laugh It Off (1940 film)

Laugh It Off is a 1940 British musical comedy film directed by John Baxter and Wallace Orton, and starring Tommy Trinder, Jean Colin, Anthony Hulme and Marjorie Browne.^[1] It was filmed at Walton Studios starting in November 1939, just after the outbreak of war.^[2]

Laugh It Off
Directed by	John Baxter
Written by	Bridget Boland Austin Melford (dialogue)
Story by	Bridget Boland
Produced by	John Corfield
Starring	Tommy Trinder Jean Colin
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Michael C. Chorlton
Music by	Marr Mackie Ronnie Munro Kennedy Russell
Production company	British National Films
Distributed by	Anglo-American Film Corporation (UK)
Release date	9 March 1940 (1940-03-09) (UK)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

At the start of World War II, Concert party entertainer Tommy Towers is drafted into service. He immediately gets on the wrong side of commanding officer Sergeant Major Slaughter, but after saving the camp show with his show business expertise Tommy is granted a commission.

Cast

• Tommy Trinder as Tommy Towers
• Jean Colin as Sally
• Anthony Hulme as Somers
• Marjorie Browne as Peggy
• Edward Lexy as Sergeant Major Slaughter
• Ida Barr as Mrs McNab
• Charles Victor as Colonel
• Peter Gawthorne as General
• Wally Patch as Sergeant
• Warren Jenkins as Pat
• John Laurie as Jock
• Henry Lytton, Jr. as George

Critical reception

TV Guide called it "a fairly entertaining effort".^[3]

Contains the mortal line: “Well if I were you, I wouldn’t start from here!” when a private is giving directions to a General in a car trying to find the HQ.

References

1. "Laugh It Off (1940)". BFI. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009.
2. Wood p.100
3. "Laugh It Off". TVGuide.com.

Bibliography

• Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
• Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

• Laugh It Off at IMDb