THIS HAPPY BREED [1944 / 2012] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release] ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ is warm-hearted and tells stories of one British family in the turbulent years between two world wars!
Noël Coward's celebration of the strength and humour of the British working class in times of crisis struck a resounding impact with viewing audiences when first released, and still does to this day. Chronicling the trials and tribulations of the Gibbons family from the end of World War One, Noël Coward's anthem to British resilience became the most successful film of 1944 and Sir Laurence Olivier provides the uncredited introductory narration.
‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ was Sir David Lean's first credit as a solo director and was the first in a succession of worldwide hits for him and his distinctive visual style. Both Robert Newton and Celia Johnson preside over the ups and downs of their family with great humour and patience, ably supported by John Mills and Stanley Holloway. This is a wonderful High Definition digital restoration from the original film elements.
FILM FACT: The film title ‘THIS HAPPY BREED,’ is a reference to the English people, is a phrase from John of Gaunt's monologue in Act II, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Richard II.
Cast: Sir Laurence Olivier [Narrator] (uncredited), Robert Newton, Celia Johnson, Amy Veness, Alison Leggatt, Stanley Holloway, John Mills, Kay Walsh, Eileen Erskine, John Blythe, Guy Verney, Betty Fleetwood, Merle Tottenham, Robin Burns (uncredited), Mabel Etherington (uncredited), Dan Lester (uncredited), Jack May (uncredited), Pat Ryan (uncredited) and Jack Sharp (uncredited)
Director: Sir David Lean
Producers: Noël Coward and Ronald Neame
Screenplay: Anthony Havelock-Allan (adapted for the screen), Sir David Lean (adapted for the screen), Ronald Neame (adapted for the screen) and Noël Coward (play) (uncredited)
Composers: Clifton Parker (uncredited) and Muir Mathieson (uncredited)
Dress Supervisor: Hilda Collins
Cinematography: Ronald Neame, C.B.E., B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor) / 480i / 1080i
Technicolor Company Colour Director: Natalie Kalmus
Technicolor Company Associate: Joan Bridge
Technicolor Company Technician: Harold Haysom
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 107 minutes
Region: Region B/2 + PAL
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Eagle-Lion Films / A Two Cities Film / Network On Air
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ [1944] tells the story of an inter-war suburban London family the Gibbons, that includes Frank Gibbons [Robert Newton], his wife Ethel Gibbons [Celia Johnson], their three children Reg Gibbons [John Blythe], Vi Gibbons [Eileen Erskine] and Queenie Gibbons [Kay Walsh], his widowed sister Aunt Sylvia [Alison Leggatt] and Ethel Gibbons mother Mrs. Flint [Amy Veness] and against the backdrop of what were then relatively recent news events, moving from the post-war era of the 1920’s to the gradual inevitability of another war, and social changes such as the coming of household radio and talking pictures in the cinema. Frank Gibbons is thrilled that their next-door neighbour is Bob Mitchell [Stanley Holloway], a friend of his from his first days in the army.
The film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ celebrates the stoicism, humour and resilience of ordinary British people. Sir Laurence Olivier spoke the narration, which is heard over the breath-taking opening sequence, a stunning aerial view of London, from the Thames and across the rooftops, down to the back door of one particular house and right through it to the front door.
Early on the film, Frank Gibbons mentions to his wife Ethel Gibbons that there will never ever be anymore wars and Ethel Gibbons says a brilliant quote to her husband, in saying, “There will always be wars as long as men are such fools as long as they want to go to them.”
‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ usage of the World Wars is all part of its storytelling was a highlight as it showed how the differing beliefs it spurred affect the Gibbons family. It’s not that any of them believe any obviously wrong ideals, but that they have differing ideas on things like privilege and familial responsibility. And like any ordinary group of people, they also want to engage in whatever enjoyable escapism they can, whether it be Sam Leadbitter [Guy Verney] and Vi Gibbons watching a new talking picture at the cinema in 1929, Queenie Gibbons winning a Charleston dance contest the year prior, these can be vivid moments in one’s young adulthood, especially when facing the hardship of the real world.
The Gibbons family love each other, but they are differing personalities that clash when tensions are high. Like with all families, they bond, fight, fall out, hurt, and at the best of times, reconcile even when it seems impossible. There is a lot said about how there are certain things that both the parents and the children don’t quite understand about each other, what they do understand about each other, and how their parent-child relationship grows with time. Also believable are the sibling relationships; siblings will often fight no matter how close they are.
The dinner table argument between Queenie Gibbons and socialist friend Sam Leadbitter is a great example of the film’s focus on ideological and philosophical debate, with the latter grandstanding over the former’s privileged stances, particularly her desire to leave her home for “bigger, better” opportunities, and her complacency and being content with the all-consuming, destructive capitalist system that widens the gap between the rich and the poor that they exploit. Sam even makes a point to off-handily jab at Queenie Gibbons appetite, “You leave my stomach out of it,” she snaps back.
The transitioning into young adults and undertaking the emotional process and growth that comes with growing up. They will also have different perspectives on similar things, or have completely different interests. The best sibling relationships come from being able to value the moments of bonding over experiences or shared interests, and being willing to work with each other when it is required. With ‘THIS HAPPY BREED,’ Noël Coward, director Sir David Lean, and co-writers Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan understood the little and big moments that define any believable family.
While completely ignored by the American Academy, ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ was one of the most successful films in England in 1944. When the movie starts, it seems like a British version of ‘The Best Years of Our Lives,’ but as the story continues, it becomes much more of a domestic drama than a story of veterans' plight. It's one of the most fantastic, moving hearth-warming films I've ever seen, and since I'm a classic film aficionado, that's a very meaningful compliment.
In top of all that, the cinematography by Ronald Neame is a great asset; unlike most films from this era, Ronald Neame utilises Technicolor for the sake of realism rather than escapism. Nothing here looks garish, but rather natural, from the complexions to the clothing. What stood out the most were the nutty browns and the minty greens of the Gibbons household, and as usual, the crisp breath-catching coldness and glowing sunsets of the winter mornings, to the general harshness yet somehow blissful idyllic promise of winter in general. The usage of colour to depict the wars was particularly effective and devastating, with the blazing reds standing out.
The acting is uniformly excellent. Kay Walsh was the personal standout for her defiant, idealistic Queenie Gibbons and especially with her fallout and reconciliation with her mother is heart-breaking and affirming, and in many ways she represents the very heart and soul of this film, reflecting each of our own desires to achieve an exciting, fulfilling life. Celia Johnson imbues a worn, weary sense of history and anxiety into Ethel Gibbons, who has to support her family and deal with when some of them let her down. Especially because of Johnson, Ethel Gibbons represents what a struggle it must’ve been being a housewife in the 1940’s, struggling to keep up with societies expectations, while finding some sense of enjoyment in the downtimes.
When Ethel Gibbons disowns Queenie Gibbons, viewers are left deeply upset. Robert Newton is properly rugged yet equally worn-out as patriarch Frank Gibbons, who tries to do his best for his family yet can’t always meet their collective expectations. Frank Gibbons also shows the struggle of being a war veteran; the guilt, the pain and the stress. Elsewhere, Stanley Holloway, Amy Veness, Eileen Erskine, John Blythe, Verney, and John Mills as Billy Mitchell are all varying levels of excellent in their respective parts. Stanley Holloway’s character Bob Mitchell in particular is well-utilized to represent more ideological and philosophical differences, particularly putting too much stock into the League of Nations.
This is an outstanding Sir David Lean film examining England between the World Wars. It deals with the Gibbons family and their lives during this tumultuous time. ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ meditates on the struggles of a family during a crisis while offering a compelling perspective on humanism and complexity.
One sequence in particular uses sound quite brilliantly. When Reg Gibbons and his wife are killed in a car crash, Vi goes out into the garden to find Frank Gibbons and Ethel Gibbons and tell them the awful news. The camera stays in the living room while the radio plays a loud dance tune, and the happy sound of children playing outside is heard. Eventually Frank Gibbons and Ethel Gibbons come into the frame, from the garden, the soundtrack making a poignant counterpoint to their silent grief.
Robert Newton and Celia Johnson are absolutely fabulous as the couple with 3 children. A stellar supporting cast enables this picture to be even better. We experience happiness, tragedy, the Charleston, general strikes hitting an endearing British people. We see a family in crisis. The mother is quite a character, and even with her morbid ways, we can chuckle as this is what occurs as our seniors get older. A strong family structure committed to family values is terribly hurt by the actions of the youngest daughter, but in life there is redemption, and that is admirably shown in this film. Life goes on. The question of what happens when we leave our homes and new occupants come in, is there some sort of link between the old and new? This is a fascinating question and this period piece, shot in bright textures, well answers this. Yes, we keep up that stiff upper lip.
Sir David Lean and Noël Coward give us a perspective on humanity and familial complexity work perfectly. Sir David Lean attempts to open the film up and give it some scope, removing it from its stage origins. Sir David Lean’s successful at this-most of the time, but there may be one dining room scene too many. However, it must be noted that the opening of the film is very impressive, and it makes you think what a man of Sir David Lean’s capabilities could have done with today’s technology, makes you think.
‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ was Sir David Lean's first official credit as solo director, and the most successful film of 1944. It was adapted from Noël Coward's hit stage play, which opened at London's Haymarket Theatre in April 1943. Noël Coward himself had played the role of Frank Gibbons on stage; the family's background was not unlike his own. Although Noël Coward wanted to play the role in the film, but it was offered first to Robert Donat. By this time, Noël Coward's adopted persona of upper-class theatrical sophistication had become far removed from his humble origins, and Sir David Lean felt he was totally wrong for the film.
THIS HAPPY BREED MUSIC TRACK LIST
RULE BRITANIA (uncredited) (Lyrics by James Thomson) (Music by Thomas Augustine Arne) [Sung by Robert Newton and Stanley Holloway coming home after their reunion]
OVER THERE (uncredited) (Written by George M. Cohan) [Heard during the Victory Parade]
A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES (uncredited) (Lyrics by Epes Sargent) (Music by Henry Russell) [Heard during the Victory Parade]
FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW (uncredited) (Traditional) [Sung by the crowd to the Prime Minister]
BIRD OF LOVE DEVINE (uncredited) (Music by Haydn Wood) (Lyrics by Kathleen Birch) [Performed by Alison Leggatt at piano]
TAKE ME BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY (Written by A.J. Mills, Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott) [Heard in the opening scene]
LONDON PRIDE (uncredited) (Written by Nöel Coward) [Instrumental during opening scene]
QUAND MADELON (Music by Camille Robert) (Lyrics by Louis Bousquet) [Performed by Stanley Holloway] [Instrumental during opening scene]
KASHMIRI SONG ("Pale Hands I loved Beside the Shalimar") (Written by Amy Woodforde-Finden) [Written by Amy Woodforde-Finden]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Network On Air presents us the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ with a totally amazing 1080p Technicolor image and of course is shown in the standard 1.37:1 aspect ratio. This brand new digital restoration looks incredible, with the beautifully colourful cinematography looking vivid once more and all scratches or marks have gone forever. Most close-ups convey impressive depth, particularly when there is plenty of light, while the wider shots boast pleasing clarity. Excluding a few small pulsations, colours are stable and looking fresh. There are no traces of problematic post-production corrections either. Unsurprisingly, the film has the unique look most early Technicolor films shown in the 1940’s. For the record, there are no large cuts, damage marks, or scratches. All in all, this is a very strong restoration of an excellent film, which Sir David Lean fans should be delighted to have this particular Blu-ray in their collection. Film Restoration was performed by the British Film Institute in collaboration with the Granada International and funded by the David lean Foundation. The high definition transfer and digital restoration was by Granada International at the Technicolor Creative Services. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Network On Air brings us the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ with just the one standard 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio experience. Generally speaking, the dialogue is crisp and stable. Also, there are no strong background hiss or high-frequency distortions. Obviously, the overall dynamic range is fairly limited, but during some of the demonstrations of the brass section does make a great impression. Overall, there are no pops, cracks, or problematic audio dropouts, so all in all this is a very good audio experience.
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Blu-ray + DVD Special Features and Extras:
DISC ONE [Blu-ray]
Theatrical Trailer [1944] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:33] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED.’ They inform us that this film is by the makers of ‘In Which We Serve’ and presents Noël Coward’s ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ in Technicolor.
Re-Release Trailer [1944] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:18] This is the Re-Release Trailer for the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED,’ and inform us that it has been re-presented at your request of the story of an ORDINARY FAMILY acclaimed the world over! This trailer as you can see is much shorter than the previous trailer.
Special Feature: Restoration Comparison Featurette [1944] [1080i / 1080p] [1.37:1] [7:18] This is a real eye opener not only because of the wonderful clarity of the restoration of the Technicolor image and especially seeing what the original print was like. Here you get to view the original print which is sometimes slightly washed out and then we get to view the glorious restored Technicolor print, where you see a black line down the middle of the frame and it slides left over the poor quality print to reveal the fully restored amazing Technicolor print.
Special Feature: Galleries: Here we get to view four separate galleries of black-and white behind-the-scenes stills of the cast and crew for the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ and they are as follows:
Behind the Scenes [1944] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:13]
Portraits [1944] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:48]
Production [1944] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:24]
Publicity [1944] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:35]
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DISC TWO [DVD]
Special Feature: The South Bank Show Special – David Lean: A Life In Film [1985] [480i / 1080i] [1.37:1] [131:49] This Original London Weekend Television programme was broadcast on the 17th February, 1985 and made to coincide with the United Kingdom opening of the film ‘A Passage to India’ and the most interesting and intimate moments are those which shows the director at work on location in India, especially on the set of ‘A Passage to India.’ The documentary covers the filmmaker Sir David Lean’s life and career, from his Croydon upbringing to his cinematic pre-eminence. Melvyn Bragg talks in-depth about Sir David Lean in saying he is one of the world’s greatest directors that has won many Oscars. This documentary film also examines the fact that with the film ‘Ryan’s Daughter,’ Sir David Lean didn’t make a film for 14 years and at the age of 76 because of all the very nasty negative reaction to the film from mainly critics in America, and then decided to return to the screen to decide to direct the film ‘A Passage to India’ and Melvyn Bragg traces the making of the film ‘A Passage to India’ and examines Sir David Lean’s life and work and we get wonderful comments from people in the film industry in this brilliant tribute to one of the greatest British filmmaker, Sir David Lean. We get some clips from many of Sir David Lean’s iconic films, such as ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ [1957], ‘Great Expectations’ [1946], ‘Brief Encounter’ [1945], ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ [1962], ‘Oliver Twist’ [1948], ‘A Passage to India’ [1985], ‘In Which We Serve’ [1942] and ‘Hobson’s Choice’ [1954] is included. This is a unique insight into Sir David Lean's method and vision, and is well worth a look, because if you are a fan of this great director, you are going to relish the idea of viewing this close up on Sir David Lean in finding out why has a great passion for films from his childhood growing up and finding out why directing films is such a great passion for him personally. Melvyn Bragg secures unrestricted access to Sir David Lean for a short period while he shoots his last feature film ‘A Passage to India.’ Please Note: Before the start of The South Bank Show there is a proviso that states “Some edits have been made to this programme for contractual reasons.” Contributors include: Melvyn Bragg [Presenter], Sir David Lean [Director], Ronald Neame [Director of Photography], Patrick Cadell [1st Assistant Director], Maggie Unsworth [Script Department] (uncredited), David Puttnam [Producer], John Box [Production Designer], Eddie Foley [Property Master], Omar Sharif [Egyptian Actor], Sir Alec Guinness [Actor], Sam Spiegel [Producer], James Fox [Actor], Victor Banerjee [Indian Actor] and Maurice Jarre [French Composer].
Director: Nigel Wattis
Producer: Nick Evans
Composer: Howard Goodall
Conductor: Harry Rabinowitz
Cinematography: Dick Pope (Director of Photography), Les Young (Director of Photography) and Paul Bond (Director of Photography)
Film Editors: Brian Freemantle and Melvyn Bragg
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Special Feature: The South Bank Show: Sir David Lean and Robert Bolt [1990] [1080i] [1.37:1] [41:24] This Original London Weekend Television programme was broadcast on the 21st January, 1990. Melvyn Bragg examines one of the great screen writing partnerships, Sir David Lean and Robert Bolt. We are informed that originally; Sir David lean and Sam Spiegel were working with a different screenwriter on ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ but encountered problems. We get to see scenes from the Royal Premiere of the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ in 1962. This documentary film follows there completion of an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's “Nostromo” and we are informed that writer Robert Bolt had recently had a stroke from which he fought his way back but it left him with severe articulation difficulties. All praise to Melvyn Bragg who seems to understand him very well, laughing at his reminiscences. I'd need a few passes to extract the sentences delivered patiently but for a man of Robert Bolt's intellect and wit to have this disability and makes you pay closer attention to hearing what the great man has to say for his effort and there are some subtitled sections but not at the start. We also get to view some short newsreel footage of the “Anti-Bomb March” where Robert Bolt was arrested in Trafalgar Square in London. There are again scenes from the previous The South Bank Show showing Sir David Lean directing ‘A Passage to India,’ but on the whole this is fascinating stuff. It's so rare to observe any of the greats actually working and working on the script is the very essence of film making. This documentary is also quite touching – long held shots of the participants, especially with close ups as well. Both documentaries are solid accompaniments to the main feature film. Thanks to Melvyn Bragg, The South Bank Show production office and The David Lean Foundation. Please Note: Before the start of The South Bank Show there is a proviso that states “Some edits have been made to this programme for contractual reasons.” Contributors include: Melvyn Bragg [Presenter], Sir David Lean, Robert Bolt, Sarah Miles [Actress] (uncredited) and Maggie Unsworth [Script Department] (uncredited)
Directors: David Thomas and Paul Hudson
Producer: David Thomas
Film Editor: Melvyn Bragg
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Special Feature: Image Gallery [1944] [1080i] [1.78:1] [5:30] Here we get to view 105 black-and white behind-the-scenes stills of the cast and crew for the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED.’
Special Feature: Original material in PDF format: This can only be viewed by putting the DVD into your computer.
PLUS: FIRST PRESSING ONLY: A beautiful collector’s commemorative 28 page booklet by noted British film historian Neil Sinyard and goes into an in-depth insight into the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ [1944] and is broken up into several sub headings, which are: Noël Coward and the Cinema; Casting for the film; The filming; Adaption and direction; Critical and popular reception and Aftermath and conclusion. We also get an in-depth item on British film historian Neil Sinyard. We also get a plethora of black-and white images and one colour image from the film ‘THIS HAPPY BREED.’
Finally, ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ is a totally brilliant and unique film and is also a terrific character study with a very inventive direction given the confines of the environment. As a technical clean up, this disc is a tour de force. Aside from the multiple and relevant extras, the Blu-ray disc is well worth picking up for the quality of the restoration alone. ‘THIS HAPPY BREED’ is a worthwhile piece of cinema history, perfect for dedicated film fans, especially of any Sir David lean films and historians, but not necessarily for the casual viewer. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
