''Q Planes'' (known as ''Clouds Over Europe'' in the United States) is a 1939 British

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 ...

spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...

starring

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

and

Valerie Hobson Babette Louisa Valerie Hobson (14 April 1917 – 13 November 1998) was a British actress whose film career spanned the 1930s to the early 1950s. Her second husband was John Profumo, a British government minister who became the subject of the Pro ...

. Olivier and Richardson were a decade into their fifty-year friendship and were in the process of staging a theatrical version of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'', with Richardson in the title role and Olivier as Iago, when this film was made. ''Q Planes'' was produced by

Irving Asher Irving Asher (September 1903 – March 1985) was an American film producer. Born in San Francisco in September 1903, he began his film production career in Hollywood in 1919. After joining the staff of Warner Brothers he was sent over to England a ...

, an American, with British film impresario

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Tim Whelan Tim Whelan (November 2, 1893 – August 12, 1957) was an American film director, writer, producer and actor best remembered for his writing credits on ''Harold Lloyd'' and ''Harry Langdon'' comedies, and his directing of mostly British films (e.g ...

(''

Sidewalks of London ''Sidewalks of London'', also known as ''St Martin's Lane'', ''London After Dark'', and ''Partners of the Night'', is a 1938 British black-and-white comedy drama starring Charles Laughton as a busker or street entertainer who teams up with a ta ...

'', and later in 1940, co-director of '' The Thief of Bagdad''), who had lived in Britain since 1932, working for Korda at

Denham Studios Denham Film Studios was a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952, founded by Alexander Korda. Notable films made at Denham include ''Brief Encounter'' and David Lean's '' Great Expectations''. From the 1950s to the 1970s t ...

Plot

In September 1938, advanced British aircraft prototypes carrying experimental and secret equipment are vanishing with their crews on test flights. No one can fathom why, not even spymaster Major Hammond (

) or his sister Kay (

), a newspaper reporter, who is working undercover in the works canteen at the Barrett & Ward Aircraft Company. At first, Major Hammond is seen as an outsider at the aircraft factory, especially by Mr. Barrett, the owner ( George Merritt), who is working under a government contract. Hammond soon finds a friend in star pilot, Tony McVane (

), who helps him try to solve the case. Hammond becomes convinced that Jenkins ( George Curzon), the company secretary at the factory, is a

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

but Jenkins is killed by a gunman firing from a moving car before he can give up the names of his contacts. McVane returns to the aircraft factory, determined to make the next test flight. His aircraft, like the others, is brought down by a powerful ray beamed from a mysterious salvage ship, S.S. ''Viking''. (Although the nationality of the crew and agents aboard the ship is only implied, it was understood by audiences that "All of the crew speak with German accents and little doubt is left who the villains are", wrote ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''.) The aircraft, McVane and the crew are taken onboard ''Viking'', where he discovers many other missing airmen who have suffered the same fate. Escaping from their prison, McVane leads them in an attempt to take control of the ship, gathering up weapons as they go. Back in London, Major Hammond learns the truth and directs a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

ship () to go to their rescue. Kay and McVane form a relationship, while Hammond, who in the line of duty has repeatedly cancelled plans with his lady friend, eventually meets up with her but learns that she has married someone else.

Cast

Film roles identified by order in the credits."Review: 'Q Planes'."
BFI Film & TV Database (

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

). Retrieved: 6 December 2015. *

as Tony McVane *

as Major Charles Hammond *

as Kay Hammond * George Curzon as Jenkins * George Merritt as Barrett *

Gus McNaughton Gus McNaughton (29 July 1881 – 18 November 1969), also known as Augustus Le Clerq and Augustus Howard, was an English film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1930 and 1947. He was born in London and died in Castor, Cambridgeshire. He ...

as Bleinkinsop *

David Tree David Tree (born Ian David Parsons; 15 July 1915 – 4 November 2009) was an English stage and screen actor from a distinguished theatrical family whose career in the 1930s included roles in numerous stage presentations as well as in thirteen fil ...

as R. MacKenzie *

Sandra Storme Sandra Storme ( Eileen Violet Needham) (22 December 1914 – 1 December 1979) was an English dancer and actress, known for the films '' Murder in Soho'' (1939) and '' Q Planes'' (1939). Biography She was born Eileen Violet Needham in London o ...

as Daphne *

Hay Petrie David Hay Petrie (16 July 1895 – 30 July 1948) was a Scottish actor noted for playing eccentric characters, among them Quilp in ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' (1934), the McLaggen in ''The Ghost Goes West'' (1935) and Uncle Pumblechook in '' Great ...

as Stage Door Keeper * Frank Fox as Karl * George Butler as Sir Marshall Gosport * Gordon McLeod as The Baron *

John Longden John Longden (11 November 1900 – 26 May 1971) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1926 and 1964, including five films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Biography Longden was born in the West Indies, the son o ...

as John Peters *

Ronald Adam General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet, (30 October 1885 – 26 December 1982) was a senior British Army officer. He had an important influence on the conduct of the British Army during the Second World War as a result of his long tenure ...

as Pollock, Airline Designer *

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...

as Air Minister *

Reginald Purdell Reginald Purdell (4 November 1896 – 22 April 1953) was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951. During the same period he also contributed to the screenplays of 15 feature films, such as '' Th ...

as Pilot *

Roy Emerton Roy Emerton (9 October 1892 – 30 November 1944) was a British film actor. Earlier in his life, he was a sailor, stoker, docker, railway worker, and miner and served in the First World War. He played in a great number of popular London stage p ...

as SS ''Viking'' First Mate * David Farrar as SS ''Viking'' Mate *

John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish actor. In the course of his career, Laurie performed on the stage and in films as well as television. He is perhaps best remembered for his role in the sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (196 ...

as Newspaper Editor *

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian-born actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University ...

as Company Manager *

Leslie Bradley Leslie Ernest Bradley (1 September 1907 – 20 July 1974) was an English actor. He died in Desert Hot Springs, California. Filmography * '' The Way of Youth'' (1934) as Lieut. Burton (film debut) * ''Play Up the Band'' (1935) as Jack Heck ...

as Assistant

Production

The film's working title was ''Foreign Sabotage''."Review: 'Clouds Over Europe'."
''

AFI Catalog of Feature Films The ''AFI Catalog of Feature Films'', also known as the ''AFI Catalog'', is an ongoing project by the American Film Institute (AFI) to catalog all commercially-made and theatrically exhibited American motion pictures from the birth of cinema in ...

(

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

)''. Retrieved: 6 December 2015. Period airports and aircraft including the

Airspeed Envoy The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. The Envoy originated as a heavier twin-engine derivative of Airspeed's Courier light transport aircra ...

de Havilland Dragon Rapide The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its rela ...

and

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...

are featured in the aerial scenes. The

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

racetrack, which was also an important airfield, was used as a backdrop for the sequences on the ground. Written and produced in September 1938, ''Q Planes'' was a quick project for Olivier, already bound for America and the filming of ''Wuthering Heights'' (1939). Richardson, who had encouraged Olivier to take the role of Heathcliff with his famous advice, "Bit of fame. Good.", was always better at comedy and dominates much of the screen, with a sardonic performance as a spy, either working for

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

or British

Military Intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

. ''Q Planes'' is historically interesting for its contrast to later British war films and to Olivier's later film career. The film might be called the last of the "neutral Britain" spy comedies, which Hitchcock had pioneered in ''The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''

The Lady Vanishes ''The Lady Vanishes'' is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel ''The Wheel Spins'' by Ethel L ...

'' (1938). The tone of ''Q Planes'' blends a spy thriller with high-tech villains, sophisticated romance and rapid-fire comedy. The British later excelled at this genre in the James Bond films from the 1960s (Jack Whittington co-wrote ''Thunderball'' 965 but here the comedic aspects are in contrast to the ardent, patriotic, sombre films that the British made once 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 opposin ...

began and the Germans, under Hitler, began to conquer Europe.

Reception

''Q Planes'' was released in the U.S. as ''Clouds Over Europe'', on 30 June 1939. Despite its subject, ''Q Planes'' is mainly a comedy, "a sort of ''Thin Man'' in an espionage setting", wrote ''

Picturegoer ''Picturegoer'' was a fan magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1911 and 23 April 1960. Background The magazine was started in 1911 under the name ''The Pictures'' and in 1914 it merged with ''Picturegoer''. Following the merge it was ...

''. The film received positive reviews, with much of its success due to Ralph Richardson, who cleverly held together the comedy and dramatic elements as Major Hammond. ''

Kinematograph Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. History ''Kinematograph Weekly'' was founded in 1889 as the monthly publication ''Optical Magic Lantern ...

'' described ''Q Planes'' as "rousing espionage, romantic melodrama, staged in the best happy-go-lucky but pukka British tradition". C. A. Lejeune called the film "a bright, vigorous little picture, and Mr. Richardson's Major is the brightest thing in it. You should see it. You'll like it. It has savour".

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Film ...

called it a "lively, lovely thriller distinguished by a droll leading performance.

Dilys Powell Elizabeth Dilys Powell, CBE (20 July 1901 – 3 June 1995) was a British film critic and travel writer who contributed to ''The Sunday Times'' for more than 50 years. Powell was known for her receptiveness to cultural change in the cinema and ...

wrote of Olivier that she recalled "being surprised that the actor made so slight an impression" and described him as "dashing but undistinguished". For Olivier scholars and fans, ''Q Planes'' shows the dramatic difference his subsequent American work with Wyler and Hitchcock made on his film acting. Here, Olivier is at the height of the glib, self-conscious acting style of the 15 pictures he had made before his work with Wyler. Olivier wrote that it was only then that he learned to stop condescending to pictures as a mere paycheck between Shakespeare productions and instead master acting for the camera as its own form. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' film critic Frank S. Nugent was initially put off by the film's new opening which, unlike the British release, reflected an ever-darkening scenario of war with Nazi Germany. Hoping to impress this on their reluctant American cousins, the executive producer Korda was Churchill's designated producer, in the filmic aspect of de-neutralising America. The film began with "shots of Commons, Parliament, the War Office, the India Office, No. 10 Downing Street and other imposing edifices", as described by Nugent. "As an added touch of dignity and authority, a commentator's voice noted each building as it passed, spoke gravely of the burden of empire, of trade and population statistics, and of the might and wisdom of Britain's leaders …" Nugent expressed relief when this made-for-America preamble turns into the British comedy it originally was and praised it as "one of the wittiest and pleasantest comedies that have come a capering to the American screen this season". ''Variety'' regarded the newsreel-style introduction as one of the film's "unusual, deft slants" and praised the film as an "excellent summer diversion.… Columbia has an easy winner in ''Clouds Over Europe'' which, despite the solemnity of its title, is strictly for comedy, albeit with a hint or two of anti-German propaganda tucked away". While noting the matinee value of Olivier, ''Variety'' reported that "the acting honors go — and at a gallop — to Ralph Richardson, playing a Scotland Yard eccentric". ''Variety'' reviewers also considered it had a "refreshing tongue-in-cheek attitude… Whole thing is bright, breezy and flavorsome"."Review: 'Clouds Over Europe'."
''

'', Volume 135, issue 2, 21 June 1939, p. 16. Retrieved: 6 December 2015. Less impressed was film critic

John Mosher John Mosher (1928–1998) was an American jazz bassist, classical bassist and composer who worked, recorded and toured with a wide range of primarily West Coast artists from the 1950s through the mid-1990s. Early years A native of Sioux City, I ...

of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', who found in the film "a bigger allotment of very British small talk and that special brand of British whimsy which makes us here think at times that at least one of the clouds over England is this particular kind of humour".

Influence

Richardson's dapper, insouciant secret agent was named, years later, as the model for the bowler-hatted upper-class British spy

John Steed Major The Hon. John Wickham Gascoyne Beresford Steed usually known as John Steed, is a fictional character and the central protagonist on the 1960s British spy series '' The Avengers'' and its 1970s sequel '' The New Avengers'', played by Patr ...

in the 1960s television series '' The Avengers'', according to producer

Brian Clemens Brian Horace Clemens (30 July 1931 – 10 January 2015) was an English screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on '' The Avengers'' and '' The Professionals''. Clemens claimed to be related to Mark Twain (Samuel ...

Home media

''Q Planes'' was released on video by Carlton Home Entertainment in 1991 and on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

in April 2007.Q Planes, Alex J
"Q Planes comes to DVD."
''Cult TV'', 10 February 2014. Retrieved: 6 December 2015.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* * * * {{Alexander Korda 1939 films 1930s spy comedy films 1930s English-language films British spy comedy films British aviation films British black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Arthur B. Woods Films directed by Tim Whelan Films with screenplays by Ian Dalrymple London Films films Films set in London Films set in Cornwall Films set in 1938 Films with screenplays by Jack Whittingham 1939 comedy films 1930s British films