''The Shipbuilders'' is a 1943 British

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by John Baxter and starring Clive Brook,

Morland Graham Morland Graham (8 August 1891 – 8 April 1949) was a British film actor. Graham had a career on the stage spanning over 35 years. He was known as a character actor, but also wrote a one act comedy, ''C'est la Guerre'', which was first perf ...

and

Nell Ballantyne Nell Ballantyne (1 December 1898 – 21 February 1959) was a Scottish stage, radio and film actress. Ballantyne was born Nellie Lochhead Ballantyne on 1 December 1898 in Glasgow, Scotland. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Lochhead and dairyma ...

. The film is set in a Clyde

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

in the build-up to 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 ...

. It was made by British National Films and shot at Elstree Studios. It was based on the 1935 novel of the same name by George Blake.

Cast

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' gave the film two out of four stars, calling it a "Well-made story." while

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

noted "a rare film of true merit from prolific British "

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. D ...

" director John Baxter," concluding that "Actual footage shipbuilders at work give this hastily assembled patriotic exercise a veneer of reality."

References

External links

* 1943 films 1940s English-language films Films directed by John Baxter British drama films Films set in Glasgow Films set in London Films set in the 1930s British World War II films Seafaring films Films shot at British National Studios British black-and-white films 1943 drama films 1940s British films {{1940s-UK-film-stub