A schoolteacher who misses her chance to join up as a WReN still 'does her bit' by other means, finding romance on the way.
National treasure Vera Lynn (still with us as I write this, 101 years old!) was well on her way to becoming 'the forces sweetheart' when she made this film. Made in the wake of 'we'll meet again', this film isn't quite as good or quite as memorable, but it is pretty fair on the whole, although Jimmy Jewel's efforts seem terribly laboured and dated now.
The film does have a fairly leaden propaganda slant; no wonder, since the war had been going for four long years by the time it was made and although the tide had turned on some fronts, folks at home and overseas were feeling it. During the middle of 1943 the artic convoys had been suspended, and the battle of the atlantic wasn't altogether going Britain's way either; the wolf packs had a second 'happy time' and in March 1943 shipping losses were about as high as at any point during WWII. D-day was still a hope for the year after and although the allies had just landed in Italy, it was slow going.
On the home front the factories had to be kept at full swing; in this film there are glimpses of the factory wall decorations, which appear to be cartoons of Stalin, giving a thumbs up to the factory workers. Our friend and ally then, little did anyone know that he was one of the biggest mass murderers in history and he would shortly be opposed to all the wartime allies in the forthcoming cold war.
Not a brilliant film, this, but not a terrible one either, especially considering the times in which it was made. It is interesting that one of the messages is to give folk the benefit of the doubt; plenty had already paid a heavy price and not all were treated as they should have been.
Six out of ten from me, almost a seven but not quite.
