''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' is a 1942 British,
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
,
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
,
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
,
directed
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
by
Marcel Varnel
Marcel Varnel (16 October 1892 – 13 July 1947) was French film director, notably however for his career in the United States and England as a director of plays and films
Biography
He was born Marcel Hyacinthe le Bozec in Paris, France.
Va ...
and starring
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...
.
It was
produced by
Edward Black and Maurice Ostrer for
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...
.
Synopsis
Set during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the plot involves the undersized Arthur joining the army to prove himself to his girlfriend Susan (
Evelyn Dall
Evelyn Dall (born Evelyn Mildred Fuss; January 8, 1918 – March 10, 2010) was an American singer and actress.
Career
Born in The Bronx, New York City as Evelyn Mildred Fuss, she took her stage name from the surname of two grandchildren of P ...
), who is in the same unit as him. Here, his idealistic notions about
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
prompt his messmates to trick him into believing that a sword they have dug up is the fabled
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
. Armed with this talisman Arthur strides forth to deal with the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
.
Cast
*
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...
as Arthur King
*
Max Bacon
Max Bacon is an English rock singer. He was the lead singer for 1980s rock group GTR, as well as for Burn the Sky, Moby Dick, Nightwing, Phenomena, and Bronz. He was the vocalist on GTR's top 40 single, "When the Heart Rules the Mind" and GTR's ...
as Maxie
*
Al Burnett
Al Burnett (1906–1973) was a British impresario, known as the "nightclub king". He ran the Stork Club in Swallow Street in London's West End.
Early life
He was born Aaron Isaacs in Mile End, London.
Career
Burnett was master of ceremonies (MC ...
as Slim
*
Evelyn Dall
Evelyn Dall (born Evelyn Mildred Fuss; January 8, 1918 – March 10, 2010) was an American singer and actress.
Career
Born in The Bronx, New York City as Evelyn Mildred Fuss, she took her stage name from the surname of two grandchildren of P ...
as Susan Ashley
*
Vera Frances
Vera Frances Ward ( Still, born 29 September 1930) is a British actress who worked with Arthur Askey, Tommy Handley, George Formby, Dinah Sheridan
Dinah Sheridan (born Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg; 17 September 1920 – 25 November 2012) was an ...
as Vera
*
Peter Graves
Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series '' Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 to 1973 (original) and from 1988 to ...
as Lance
*
Brefni O'Rorke
Brefni O'Rorke (26 June 1889 – 11 November 1946) was an Irish actor, both on the stage and in movies.
Early life
O'Rorke was born as William Francis Breffni O'Rorke at 2 Esplande Villas in Dollymount, Clontarf, Dublin on 26 June 1889, and bap ...
as Colonel Duncannon
*
Anne Shelton as Gwen Duncannon
*
Ronald Shiner
Ronald Alfred Shiner (8 June 1903 – 29 June 1966) was a British stand-up comedian and comedy actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall.
Career Early life and career
When he was seventeen, Shiner joined the Royal Nort ...
as Sergeant
*
Jack Train
Jack Train (28 November 1902 – 19 December 1966) was a British comic actor best known for his appearances as a variety of eccentric characters in the BBC radio series ''It's That Man Again'' (''ITMA'').
Life and career
Train was born in ...
as Jack
*
Victor Feldman
Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...
as young drummer with Maxie
*
Freddie Crump
Freddie Crump, also referred to as Freddy Crump, Fred Crump and Rastus Crump (died May 4, 1979 in Holland) was a drummer from the United States. He performed in various vaudeville productions including with Gonzelle White in Cuba, performed in Eur ...
as himself, drumming
Soundtrack
* Arthur Askey - "You Know What King Arthur Said"
* Arthur Askey - "Honey On My Mind"
* Anne Shelton - "Why Can't It Happen To Me?"
* Evelyn Dall - "You'll Love The Army"
* Evelyn Dall - "Got A Bee In My Bonnet"
* Evelyn Dall - "Actions Speak Louder Than Words"
References
External links
*
*
*
1942 films
1942 musical comedy films
Arthurian films
British black-and-white films
British musical comedy films
British World War II propaganda films
1940s English-language films
Films directed by Marcel Varnel
Films produced by Maurice Ostrer
Gainsborough Pictures films
Films with screenplays by Marriott Edgar
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