When Cicely Courtneidge's mother (also played by Miss Courtneidge, albeit in heavy makeup) retires, Cicely succeeds herself as Queen of the Marvellos, a family of music-hall performers. However, when young Dorothy Hyson begins an affair with a young soldier, Miss Courtneidge is trapped between her responsibilities and memories of her own affair years ago with another young soldier.
This vehicle for Miss Courtneidge is a fine exercise in British musical comedy, mostly because the director is the canny Maurice Elvey. While other film makers in this era would shoot a number in medium close-up with a stationary camera and quick cuts, Elvey understood what was cinematic: medium long shots, a moving camera and a much slower editing pace to permit the performance to come through. It's particularly memorable in a sequence in which Miss Courtneidge is simultaneously rehearsing a sentimental number for Miss Hyson while barking commands at her troupe, and the burlesque adagio dance she performs later on. It wouldn't be until two years later that the Astaire-Rogers films in the US caught onto this method and they would become standard.
Elvey also takes advantage of the presence of Edward Everett Horton in the cast. Horton usually played comic types in support, treasured for his wonderful triple takes. Here, his role is given some depth.
While the stage antecedents of this movie are very much in evidence, it remains clearly a cinematic effort, with a couple of good songs (including Miss Courtneidge's hit, "There's Something About a Soldier") and worthwhile viewing.
