I’ve been (mostly) enjoying watching some of the old British films with Alistair Sim in a key role. Mostly to look for a really good clip of his wonderful voice, in which he’s not too Scottish, to clone for Chatterbox TTS. For what it’s worth, here is my ranking:
**** Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday. 1939. Sim’s breakthrough as a co-star, the best of the three Inspector Hornleigh comedy-mystery movies. A good fun film.
***** Cottage to Let. 1941. Excellent comedy-mystery film, don’t let the dull title fool you. A very young George Cole ‘steals the stage’.
** Green for Danger. 1946. A serious hospital murder-mystery, gripping but the abundant 1940s histrionics get a bit wearing.
***** Hue and Cry. 1947. Excellent children’s ‘bombsite Britain’ comedy-crime movie, Sim is wonderful.
***** London Belongs to Me. 1948. Excellent, but the focus is firmly on Richard Attenborough.
**** The Happiest Days of Your Life. 1950. A fine pre-St. Trinians boarding-school comedy movie, with a strong focus on Sim as the wily headmaster.
*** Laughter in Paradise. 1951. Quite reasonable and watchable comedy, but note that Sim is only a quarter of the movie.
** Folly to Be Wise. 1952. If you like histrionic stage farces, this may appeal. Otherwise skip.
**** The Belles of St. Trinian’s. 1954. The first St. Trinians school movie, and the best of the four.
*** Geordie. 1955. A Scottish drama with fine landscape and touches of comedy. Sim has a low-key performance as The Laird (Geordie’s boss).
**** The Green Man. 1956. An excellently dark comedic part for Sim, as an assassin. Far-fetched, but very watchable and the support from George Cole is perfectly pitched.
* Left Right and Centre. 1959. Tiresome and rather bog-standard local by-election comedy-satire, from what I saw. I gave up half way through.
** The Millionairess. 1960. Strange and rather tiresome adaptation of a George Bernard Shaw play. The focus is not on Sim. Again, I gave up half way through.
*** School for Scoundrels. 1960. Very watchable sprightly 1950s-style British comedy, with Sim and Terry Thomas supporting.