''Light Up the Sky!'' (also known as ''Skywatch'') is a 1960 British comedy drama film directed by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as ''Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!'' ...

and starring

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career spanning 70 years. He found prominence in the films of the Boulting brothers, including ...

Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele reco ...

and

Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor, singer and writer. He is remembered for his television programme ''The Benny Hill Show'', an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double ente ...

. The film also features

Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emery was ...

in a minor role. ''Light Up the Sky!'' was based on Robert Storey's West End play ''Touch it Light''.

Plot

During the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, Lieutenant Ogleby (

) is the officer in charge of a number of soldiers assigned to a

searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...

and gunnery unit, somewhere in England. Ogleby visits only occasionally to check up on the unit. In his absence Lance Bombardier Tomlinson (

Victor Maddern Victor Jack Maddern (16 March 1928 – 22 June 1993) was an English actor. He was described by ''The Telegraph'' as having "one of the most distinctive and eloquent faces in post-war British cinema." Life and career Born in Seven Kings, ...

) is in charge, but he struggles to maintain some kind of order over the other men and he frequently turns a blind eye to their lack of discipline and even their local thieving. Camp comic Syd McGaffey (

) tries to keep up with the romantic antics of his younger brother Eric (

) who comes back from a short leave and announces that he has got married. He soon takes up with a local girl and gets her pregnant, falling foul of her father. Ted Green (

Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was bor ...

) is a widower with a son serving overseas and he eagerly maintains a correspondence with him. Leslie Smith ( Johnny Briggs) is lovesick and unhappy over a misunderstanding with his girlfriend and eventually goes

AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

to get to see her. Roland Kenyon (

Harry Locke Harry Locke (10 December 1913 – 7 September 1987) was an English character actor. He was born and died in London. He married Joan Cowderoy in 1943 and Cordelia Sewell in 1952. He was a good friend of the poet Dylan Thomas. Their friendship in ...

) is the unit's cook and a father of six children. He has ambitions to get a posting to a catering unit.

Cast

as Lieutenant Ogleby *

as Eric McGaffey *

as Syd McGaffey *

as Ted Green *

as Lance Bombardier Tomlinson *

as Roland Kenyon * Johnny Briggs as Leslie Smith *

Cyril Smith Sir Cyril Richard Smith (28 June 1928 – 3 September 2010) was a prominent British politician who after his death was revealed to have been a prolific serial sex offender against children. A member of the Liberal Party, he was Member of ...

as 'Spinner' Rice *

as Harry *

Cardew Robinson Douglas John Cardew Robinson (14 August 1917 – 28 December 1992) was a British comic, whose career was rooted in the music hall and Gang Shows. Early life and career Born in Goodmayes, Essex, Robinson was educated at Harrow County School ...

as Compere * Susan Burnet as Jean * Sheila Hancock as Theatre Act * Fred Griffiths as Mr. Jennings

Production

''Light Up the Sky!'' was based on the play, ''Touch It Light'' which premiered in 1957. Producer and director Lewis Gilbert liked it and arranged for it to be filmed. "There have been countless films featuring heroic officers and I feel it is time the ordinary private is given his due," said Gilbert. ''Light Up the Sky!'' was Tommy Steele's first dramatic role.

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his wor ...

who wrote songs for Steele's first three films, wrote a song for this film called, "Touch It Light" which Steele performs with Hill.Nepean, Edith. "Review: 'Light Up The Sky!'." ''Picture Show; London'', 26 March 26, 1960. p. 6. Criterion Film Productions provided £22,500 of the budget and Tommy Steele deferred £7,500 of his fee.Petrie 2017, p. 8

Reception

Box Office

''Light Up the Sky!'' earned Bryanston a small profit of £4,466.

Critical reception

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' in 1960 described ''Light Up the Sky!'' as a "small, sensible and somehow touching film with a whiff of authenticity about it". The '' Radio Times'' dismissed it as a "hackneyed theatrical hand-me-down". Eleanor Mannikka at '' Allmovie'' called it an "unexceptional comedy". ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'' called it "pointless", but observed Benny Hill "exhibits the form that would later make him a popular television star in both the UK and US" and admitted to finding the film "occasionally amusing". '' Film Threat'' called it "A great little wartime drama" and asked "Why isn't this gem better known?" Film reviewer Peter Burnett noted that "for British nostalgia fans and cineastes in general, it will be a fabulous treat".Burnett, Peter
"Review: 'Light up the Sky!' (1960)."
''peterburnett.info'', 2019

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Reid, John Howard
''America's Best, Britain's Finest: A Survey of Mixed Movies''.
Morrisville, North Carolina: Lulu.com, 2006. .

External links

* * *
Light Up the Sky
at Letterbox DVD
Light Up the Sky
at BFI {{DEFAULTSORT:Light Up The Sky! 1960 films Films directed by Lewis Gilbert British aviation films British comedy-drama films British black-and-white films 1960 comedy-drama films Films scored by Douglas Gamley Films set in the 1940s World War II aviation films British films based on plays Military humor in film 1960s English-language films 1960s British films