I knew of "The Huggetts" as a Sunday lunchtime BBC radio comedy soap opera of the 1950s and was reminded of that in a reminiscent recollection in an Internet Forum.
This is the first of The Huggett films I have seen. It was made in the year of my birth; 1948 amidst post-war rationing as Britain began to turn wartime losses and gains into history.
I am no film technical buff, but this seemed competently done with clever editing to try and draw some interest from the tales of these folk who do not seem to matter enough to me to really hold my attention.
It is fascinating to see all those talented actors that I grew up with, who seemed to perform competently, though the real interest was the view of suburban Britain, before television was rampant. \it is fascinating to see the styles of the day and fitments in the home - like the old range and the heavy stratified life of this family.
I am sure it could be the basis of an informed investigation into Britain and black and white films for entertainment as they gradually replaced Music Hall, whilst radio was probably becoming the entertainment and information system that many turned to first.
I best see the first film that was made a year earlier and then perhaps the later two films, as well as tracking down some of the half-hour radio scripts to clarify my appreciation & understanding.
I suggest it is a film for those interested in understanding the mid 20th century in Britain as well as those who just want to remember it and some of the old stars, who have now left us - though Petula Clark lives on in glory.
This was the age the sadly departed (yesterday) Victoria Wood depicted with her housewife 49 film - though that was from a northern English perspective. I felt the age depicted here is reflected in some other of Victoria Wood's fine writing - such as the early years of her biographical drama about Morecambe and Wise and also the TV programme about the couple who recalled singing on the gramophone record as part of the Manchester Children's choir.
I am a Londoner - who moved away - and whilst in Merseyside I came to appreciate a sense of how many in the provinces have a view of us Londoners as "soft" and inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things, rather like The Huggetts!
I presume the film is now out of copyright, I found it freely available on You Tube.
