''Welcome, Mr. Washington'' is a 1944 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring

Barbara Mullen Barbara Mullen (9 June 19149 March 1979) was an American-born actress well known in the United Kingdom for playing the part of Janet McPherson, the housekeeper in ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. Although the role of Janet brought her fame in later ye ...

, Donald Stewart and

Peggy Cummins Peggy Cummins (born Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller; 18 December 1925 – 29 December 2017) was an Irish actress, born in Wales, who is best known for her performance in Joseph H. Lewis's '' Gun Crazy'' (1950), playing a trigger-happy ''femme f ...

. It was written by

Jack Whittingham Jack Whittingham (2 August 1910 – 3 July 1972) was a British playwright and screenwriter. Early life Whittingham was born in Heaton, West Yorkshire, England, and educated at Charterhouse between 1924 and 1929. He then went up Lincoln Colleg ...

based on a story by Noel Streetfield. The film was made by

British National Films The British National Films Company was formed in England in 1934 by J. Arthur Rank, Lady Annie Henrietta Yule of Bricket Wood, and producer John Corfield. Origin Joseph Arthur Rank was a devout member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Brit ...

, ''Welcome, Mr. Washington'' was listed as one of the

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

's " 75 Most Wanted"

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

s for some years. It emerged in early 2016 that a complete print had been discovered in a locker in London's Cinema Museum. It was screened at

BFI Southbank BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the United Kingdom, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Inst ...

in late January. It was shown on the British TV channel

Talking Pictures TV Talking Pictures TV (TPTV) is a British free-to-air vintage film and nostalgia television channel. It was launched on 26 May 2015 on Sky. Later it also became available on Freeview, Freesat and Virgin Media. It is on air 24 hours a day and fe ...

on 13 October 2020.

Premise

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, two sisters are left almost penniless by their father's sudden death, and so they decide to lease their estate as an

airbase 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 ...

to the newly-arrived American forces.

Cast

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "Barbara Mullen is attractively serious as Jane, Donald Stewart a quite likable Johnny, Peggy Cummins amusingly precocious as Sarah, and members of the American Army make the invasion of the village a realistic one. This is a well-directed, pleasant film, with a strong supporting cast, and provides entertainment about the war from a quieter and more humorous angle than usual." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "The story, which, by the way, has exceedingly good dialogue, is responsible for a perfectly plausible, as well as a thoroughly entertaining impression of English village life and 'not-so-innocents' abroad. At the same time, it tenderly illustrates the joys and disillusionments of adolescents and gives our American visitors a well-timed pat on the back. There is, however, considerably more in it than that which meets the eye and not the least significant of its subtleties is its graceful hint that industry and commerce are slowly but surely ousting feudalism and the old aristocracy."

References

External links

BFI 75 Most Wanted entry
with extensive notes * {{Leslie S. Hiscott 1944 films British drama films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Leslie S. Hiscott Films set in England World War II films made in wartime 1940s rediscovered films Films with screenplays by Jack Whittingham British black-and-white films 1944 drama films Rediscovered British films Films shot at British National Studios 1940s British films Films based on works by Noel Streatfeild