Waterloo Road (1945)

You won't be disappointed!

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Much admired in its day for its frank depiction of a somewhat seamy side of wartime London, "Waterloo Road" now seems to be a slow-paced, over-talkative, war-time propaganda piece that tries to take in too much territory. Too often the script avoids controversy and is content to shape up as a domestic romantic drama, so it's actually no wonder that the direction lacks confidence and that the fight scenes are so clumsily staged – although admittedly no doubles are used! The script's flashback-within-a-flashback construction also hinders our involvement in the plot. On the other hand, the movie's actuality photography and its authentic wartime milieu certainly give "Waterloo Road" a must-see curiosity appeal. And admittedly, John Mills and Stewart Granger are in their element here, although Alastair Sim struggles to make the best of being miscast.

Whilst people get nostalgic for a bygone time where supposedly everyone rooted together, conveniently forgetting how much people were in it for themselves and the spiv culture ruled.Here comes a slice of life film that was made when the war was still on. Not sure how this one went past the censor as the subject matter involves an AWOL soldier who wants to find his wife after he gets wind that she is being wooed by a supposedly invalid playboy type draft dodger excellently played by Stewart Granger who is also an ex boxer.Granger is trying to get his wicked ways by spinning whatever yarn he can and showing her a good time. Add to this, some mishaps, John Mills AWOL soldier being pursued by military policemen and a mixture of comedy and drama makes this an easy going gem.There is a rather brutal fight scene at the end and Alistair Sim gives a nice cameo as well as Jean Kent wearing not a lot, not sure what the censor was doing when her scene turned up!

Waterloo Road, made towards the end of World War II, tells the story of a young squaddie played by Sir John Mills, who having heard about his wife running around with a no good local operator, goes AWOL to basically find his erring wife and give the chap in question a good old thick ear.Despite that being the entire plot in a nut shell, it is a fantastic piece of wartime nostalgia and a rather entertaining and charming little film to boot.It is chockablock full of air raids, wardens, shelters, old fashion saloon bars, and its cast list is practically a cinematic who's who of British Wartime cinema, although it is the two male leads that really steal the film.Stewart Granger is a thoroughly unlikable fellow in this film as the draft dodging spiv with a million brave guys wives to chose from and he plays his part magnificently, although at times his cockney slang-ridden accent does slip into his more characteristic well spoken Britisher.Sir John Mills was never really used much in the guise of a physical tough guy, and after watching Waterloo Road it is not too hard to understand why. Despite the consummate and expert actor he undoubtedly was, he was on the whole, officer/ministry material and the fisty cuffs he displays in Waterloo Road, although well choreographed is not how the most majestic of our British acting knights should be perceived or indeed behave.The final outcome of the Mills/Granger bout was also a little unbelievable, which is why they probably had Granger clasp his heart halfway through, as I'm sure in reality, Granger would have torn him to shreds, with the audience all to aware of the fact.But still a pleasant little wartime ditty in to South London. Give it a go.

A most satisfying film ,well acted and produced,a simple story of a wartime incident when the husband(john mills) came on leave.The fight scene between John Mills and Stewart Granger was the highlight.In those unsophisticated days audiences often applauded and cheered a good film.It was the only entertainment for the hard working people in those wartime years.