The First of the Few (1943)

Simply A Masterpiece

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I got this DVD free with the newspaper and it was part of a 'Classic War Films' collection so I was a little bit surprised to discover that very little of the action takes place during the war; that doesn't mean I was disappointed though as this was a fascinating biopic about R.J. Mitchell, the creator of the Supermarine Spitfire. The story begins during the war when a group of pilots start speculating about what happened to Mitchell and how he came to design the plane; their senior officer then tells them the story beginning with the British victory in the 1922 Schneider Trophy race. The race was won in a biplane but Mitchell is convinced that the future of flying is monoplanes. At first nobody thinks his designs are viable but eventually it gets built and is proved to be a winner. After a third successive victory the trophy is won outright and Mitchell is left with little to do. A trip to Germany, where he learns of their plans to rearm he is determined that Britain must not be left behind in the race for air superiority; unfortunately the government has other priorities so it looks as his new plane won't be built; that is until his company decides to make it anyway... the rest, as they say, is history.Even though the film wasn't quite what I was expecting I really enjoyed it Leslie Howard did a fine job both directing and starring as Mitchell and he was ably supported by David Niven who played his friend and test pilot Geoffrey Crisp. The other stars of the film are the planes of course; it was fascinating to see footage of old seaplanes and the scenes with the Spitfires were impressive. Being made in 1942 there is inevitable an element of propaganda in the film although it doesn't feel too heavy handed. There are also some instances of poetic licence; the Crisp character is an amalgam of several people and Mitchell did not go to Germany; knowing these facts doesn't dull the film though; after all the makers wanted to make it as stirring as possible. If you are a fan of aviation this film is a must see.

One of the good ones! Very simple biopic that inspires and entertains. Great cast with David Niven and Leslie Howard (who also produced and directed). It will probably never end up on a 100-best list of films of all time. But it does not fail to deliver heart, spirit and all around good feelings. It is a reminder of nationalism which seems to have disappeared in this country. It was made in the days when it was not offensive to be proud of your country and the men and women who helped make it great. It is a reminder of the evil men in our world history and those who fought against them.The studio sets are almost comical... you can hear the echo in the sound recording! The special effects are not special at all. The dialogue is even corny in some scenes. But none of that matters because the story is more important. It's a story of a man and his love of country and his disdain for tyranny. His perseverance is inspirational. His example is uncommon. And the support of his wife is just as stirring. RJ Mitchell is the spit and fire!

Propaganda, yes, but what else would one expect in wartime. On the other hand if we must have propaganda let it be as sincere and well meant as this. Though it's largely irrelevant I confess to being a little bemused by the large number of posters who think that Leslie Howard was English when he was in fact Hungarian. Having said that there is no question of his genuine feeling for his adopted country especially as manifested here in a film he directed as well as playing the leading role. David Niven offers strong support albeit more or less playing himself and Rosamund John is effective in the somewhat thankless role of Mitchell's wife. Given both the limitations of the time and the fact that it was shot on a genuine aerodrome whilst the war was in full swing the aeriel sequences are as well as can be expected. As a time-capsule it's well worth a look.

My father was one of the fighter pilots featured in this film (speaking part and "action " shots ) This film was part of his "war" ,if you like. To me ,this film represents the very best of British cinematography of its day and genre.I have some "stills " of the film and also quite a few w action shots (no pun intended !)on the open air set at RAF Ibsley in 1942. The soundtrack on most broadcast copies is rather poor,but the quality of the music score is beyond question.The composer ,william Walton was commissioned at the time but his music was not thought particularly noteworthy .It was not until the 1960's his music was accredited rightly in my view as a work of sheer brilliance. I agree with everything anthony Inglis has said in his commentary