COTTAGE TO LET
UK, 1941, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills, Jeanne de Casalis, George Cole, Carla Lehmann, Michael Wilding, Frank Cellier, Muriel Aked, Muriel George, Catherine Lacey, Hay Petrie.
Directed by Anthony Asquith.
Cottage to Let is an old-fashioned comedy thriller, yet interesting in its cast as well as its portrayal of espionage during World War Two. It was a warning against espionage rings in Britain as well as a morale booster. The film was directed by Anthony Asquith, veteran British director from silent films through such entertainments as The Winslow Boy to The VIPs and The Yellow Rolls-Royce?.
The film has a Scottish setting, a picture of an old-world village which is the base for an espionage ring. Leslie Banks is a top scientist and inventor, Alastair Sim (initially seeming sinister) is a Foreign Office official, John Mills (seeming innocent) turns out to be the vicious spy. A teenage George Cole has a substantial role as an alert and clever young boy. Michael Wilding also appears as the associate scientist.
The film has many of the conventional pictures of espionage - but audiences will enjoy it nonetheless.
1.Entertaining espionage comedy drama? A warning during the war? Morale-boosting?
2.Black and white photography, the Scottish setting? The house and the village? The Scottish countryside? The musical score?
3.The title and its seeming innocence? The role of the cottage? The various people inside? Their struggles?
4.Barrington as top scientist? Cavalier in his attitudes? Investigations? Dangers? His relationship with Trently? Discussions with the minister? His proving difficult in moving from his home? The taking of his plans? The confrontation with the spy ring? The contrast with Mrs Barrington, her love for her husband, absentmindedness, getting things mixed up, organising everybody, the fete?
5.Trently, assistant to Barrington, his work, seeming sinister, his contact with the woman who was the agent for the spy ring? His love for Helen? Jealousy of Parry? The final build-up, his heroism, the romantic hero?
6.Trimble, Alastair Sim and his appearance and style? His cover for writing books? Snooping around, at windows? His tracking down the spies? Infiltrating? Audiences assuming that he was the spy? The revelation of the truth? His confrontation of the ring?
7.Ronnie, the orphans allotted to the cottage, his being cheeky, precocious? The other kids? Mrs Barrington, discussions with Barrington about science, helping around? With Parry and helping him? His suspicions of Evans, the butler? His ingenuity, being taken with Parry, being tied up with Barrington, the escape?
8.Evans the butler, the plant by the ministry? His being discovered? His role in the events? The various officials and the minister and their coming to discuss issues and inventions with Barrington?
9.Helen, her work, nursing, with Trently? With Parry, the devotion? The clash with Parry? The happy ending?
10.Parry, parachuting and rescued, illness, the doctor taking him to the house? His niceness, friendliness with everybody, with Ronnie, with Helen? Clash with Trently? His being unmasked as the villain? The escape, the tying up of Barrington and Ronnie? The auction at the fete - and the final chase and confrontations? The doctor as a spy?
11.The range of people in the spy ring? The woman in the house, the young woman, her contacts, Trimble infiltrating? Taking Ronnie and Barrington and tying them up? The rounding up of the spy ring?
12.The combination of British comic styles (with the cast) as well as adventures - especially with Ronnie and Barrington escaping from the lock-up?
13.The contribution of this kind of film to the traditions of British film-making? Perspective on World War Two? Entertainments from the past?
