''It’s in the Air'' is a 1938 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...

, Polly Ward and Jack Hobbs. The film was released in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

with the alternative title ''George Takes the Air'' in 1940. The film depicts Great Britain's preparations for war with Air Raid Warden training, mock air attacks dropping poison gas bombs, and the deployment of anti-aircraft weapons in the streets.

Plot

George Brown (

) is rejected as an Air Raid Warden, but, subsequently, his dreams of flying would soon come true. When he dons his brother-in-law's

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

uniform, he realises that his brother-in-law, who had "signed up", has left behind some very important papers in the pockets. He delivers the despatches to a nearby RAF station, whereupon George is mistaken for a despatch rider from headquarters. George soon becomes the butt of jokes from his corporal which ends up with his staying indefinitely at the RAF

air base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

. George, who has the inability to know his right from his left but not right from wrong soon falls in love with the Sergeant Major's daughter, Peggy ( Polly Ward) a base NAAFI girl and when Corporal Craig ( Jack Hobbs) who also fancies her, discovers his real identity, he threatens to report George. On the day of an annual inspection, George attempts to escape the base and ends up in a Hawker Audax aircraft that is being readied for a test flight. While the inspector watches, George's aerial display is memorable and the inspector insists he should be commended in order to save their skins. George manages to land the aircraft and is accepted as a flyer by the RAF.

Cast

as George Brown * Polly Ward as Peggy * Jack Hobbs as Cpl. Craig *

Julien Mitchell Julien Mitchell (13 November 1888 – 4 November 1954) was an English actor, in films from the mid-1930s. Mitchell supported comedians George Formby and Will Hay, and appeared in some Hollywood films in the early war years, but is perhaps b ...

as The Sergeant Major * Garry Marsh as Commanding Officer Hill * Ilena Sylva as Anne Brown * Frank Leighton as Pvt. Bob Bullock. * C. Denier Warren as Sir Philip * Michael Shepley as Adjutant * Hal Gordon as Nobby Clark, mechanic * Joe Cunningham as Flight Sergeant * Jack Melford as Lt. Terry, pilot * Eliot Makeham as Sir Philip's Gardener *

Esma Cannon Esma Ellen Charlotte Littmann (''née'' Cannon; 27 December 1905 – 18 October 1972), credited as Esme or Esma Cannon, was an Australian-born character actress who moved to Britain in the early 1930s. Although she frequently appeared on televis ...

as Sir Philip's Maid * O. B. Clarence as Sir Philip's Gardener * Philip Godfrey as 2nd. Ambulance Man * Bryan Herbert as RAF Corporal Organising Concert * Philip Ray as Airman with Shoe *

John Salew John Rylett Salew (28 February 1902 (some sources state 1 January 1897)14 September 1961) was an English stage film and TV actor. Salew made the transition from stage to films in 1939, and according to Allmovie, "the manpower shortage during W ...

as RAF Radio Operator * Jack Vyvian as Corporal in Ambulance

Production

''It’s in the Air'' was partly made at the former

London Air Park London Air Park, also known as Hanworth Air Park, was a grass airfield in the grounds of Hanworth Park House, operational 1917–1919 and 1929–1947. It was on the southeastern edge of Feltham, now part of the London Borough of Hounslow. In t ...

in Feltham, Middlesex. The film's

art direction Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to super ...

is by Wilfred Shingleton. The scenes of the air-raid exercise at the opening of the film are taken from the scenes of an aerial attack in

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

's '' Things to Come'' (1936). The aircraft in ''It’s in the Air'' were: * Hawker Audax (K8334) (K3081) * Hawker Demon (K3947) * Armstrong Whitworth Atlas (K1195) * Blackburn B.2 (G-ADFN), (G-ADLF) * Bristol Bulldog IIA (K3512)Santoir, Christian
"Review: 'It’s in the Air'."
''Aeromovies'', 11 July 2011. Retrieved: 11 July 2019.

Soundtrack

* "It's In The Air" Written by Harry Parr-Davies; performed by George Formby and the chorus * "Our Sergeant Major" Written by George Formby, Harry Gifford and Fred E. Cliffe * "They Can't Fool Me" Written by George Formby, Harry Gifford and Fred E. Cliffe; performed by George Formby * " The Bell's Of St Mary's" Music by A. Emmett Adams and lyrics by Douglas Furber; performed by an unidentified airman

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

called ''It’s in the Air'' a "fast and crazy farce, typically British, typically slapstick. As a specimen of war-time culture it should not be overlooked". Aviation film historian James H. Farmer in ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1984) considered ''It’s in the Air'', " Fast-paced, typically British slapstick humour."Farmer 1984, p. 316.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . * Skogsberg, Bertil. ''Wings on the Screen''. San Diego: A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc., 1981. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:It's in the Air (1938 film) 1938 films 1938 comedy films 1930s British films 1930s English-language films Associated Talking Pictures British aviation films British black-and-white films British comedy films Ealing Studios films English-language comedy films Films about the Royal Air Force Films directed by Anthony Kimmins Films scored by Ernest Irving Films set in England Military comedy films