He Found a Star

This wartime British musical makes no reference to WWII raging in Europe at the time, and obviously was intended to cheer up the home front. The plot concerns a struggling theatrical agent, Vic Oliver, getting started by giving breaks to unknowns, aided by his faithful secretary, Sarah Churchill. Oliver is extremely personable, but Churchill seemed miscast, acting distant towards him, yet apparently yearning for him all the time. I guess her forte is dramatic roles. There are lots of variety acts, but only two that stood out for me: the one-man band by Robert Atkins, who winds up having five mouthpieces of wind instruments in his mouth at one time - you've got to see and hear it to believe it; and the rich baritone voice of Uriel Porter. I also enjoyed seeing, in a minor role as Churchill's kid sister, a very young Joan Greenwood, who I recognized because of her unique whispery voice. Aside from these items, it wasn't much of a musical.

Vic Oliver was a star of radio and the music halls.Marrying Sarah Churchill made them the posh and becks of their day.This film is clearly an attempt to make capital out of theurowings fame.Whilst the film is acceptable as a musical comedy it does show up the rather limited ability of Churchill.Far more outstanding is Evelyn Dall who had come over from America in the thirties and rose from being a band singer to a film star.She steals the show quite easily.This film is more a musical revues. It features many turns who were not thar well known before and remained so after.Oliver big hit was in Higher Gang which he would appear in as his next film,with the Lyonshall.

"Lucky Lyndon is a seedy but enthusiastic talent agent specializing in giving breaks to unknowns. Lyndon spends the entire picture looking for the next 'big star'. He never realizes that his secretary Ruth Cavour (played by Sarah Churchill, Winston's daughter) is madly in love with him. By the time he figures it out, Lyndon has nearly come to grief trying to promote an ungrateful nightclub songstress," according to the DVD sleeve description.

Basically, a British variety show hosted by husband and wife team Vic Oliver and Sarah Churchill. Unfortunately, Mr. Oliver doesn't find the new Garbo he mentions. The main attraction is 1930s platinum "blonde bombshell" Evelyn Dall (as Suzanne), who sings "Salome" and "Costa Rumba" with the usual gusto. Uriel Porter (as George Washington Brown) is also worth a listen. Joan Greenwood and Barbara Everest make notable appearances.

*** He Found a Star (8/28/41) John Paddy Carstairs ~ Vic Oliver, Sarah Churchill, Evelyn Dall, Uriel Porter

This ends up being just average overall, but along the way it has some good upbeat moments. The story has the kind of setup that makes it easy to identify with the underdog main characters, and at times it makes good use of the possibilities. Some of the most entertaining parts, though, come from the minor characters instead of from the main story.

Vic Oliver is believable as a marginally successful but optimistic talent agent, who starts up an agency devoted to giving unknowns a break. His performance has enough snake-oil salesman in it to make the character seem genuine, while having enough good-natured energy to be sympathetic. Sarah Churchill might well - as the previous reviewer here suggested - be somewhat miscast. Much of the force of the story relies on her devotion to Lucky (Oliver's character), but more often she seems cool and efficient instead.

One of the highlights is seeing some of the performers whom the agency helps out. Robert Atkins is really entertaining with his revamped routine, and Uriel Porter displays a fine voice in his scenes. Although a young Joan Greenwood is also in the cast as the younger sister of Ruth (Churchill), the scenes of Ruth's family life are largely extraneous both to the plot and to developing her character.

This is a decent, average movie to watch when you're in the mood for something light and undemanding. It has enough of an upbeat tone to help it through the less rewarding stretches.

The daughter of the new Prime Minister and her husband -- Sarah Churchill and Vic Oliver -- star in this musical. He's opening a talent agency for people who never got a break, and it takes him half an hour to find a down-ad-out fellow whose song version of "Invictus" went out of favor twenty years earlier, and transform him into a novelty number, followed by real talent: basso Uriel Porter. By the forty minute mark in this movie, he's found success and lost his soul -- which means moving into sleek new offices and the Original Blonde Bombshell, Evelyn Dall -- until the smash finish, of course.

It's a surprisingly sweet musical, and reliable director John Paddy Carstairs pulls out all the stops with a variety of weird wipes for editing the big production number. Look back more than three quarters of a century, you can see the cheap B values and the attempts to cash in on current notoriety, but also the clear competence of the underlying work.