Out of the Blue (1931 film)
| Out of the Blue | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jessie Matthews performing in the film | |
| Directed by | Gene Gerrard |
| Screenplay by | Bert Lee Frank Miller R.P. Weston |
| Based on | Little Tommy Tucker 1930 play by Desmond Carter and Caswell Garth[1] |
| Produced by | John Maxwell |
| Starring | Gene Gerrard Jessie Matthews Kay Hammond |
| Cinematography | Arthur Crabtree Ernest Palmer |
| Edited by | Edward B. Jarvis |
| Music by | Vivian Ellis |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Pathé Pictures International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Out of the Blue is a 1931 British musical film directed by Gene Gerrard and starring Gerrard, Jessie Matthews, and Kay Hammond.[2] Produced by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios near London, its sets were designed by art director David Rawnsley.
This marked Matthews’ first major film role.[3] The plot follows a baronet’s daughter who falls in love with a radio star engaged to her sister. Although the film was not a commercial success, it led to Matthews being cast in There Goes the Bride and signing a contract with Gainsborough Pictures.[3] Matthews later reflected in her autobiography that "Out of the Blue was adapted from a stage musical and never should have left the boards."[4] John Orton served as supervising director.[2]
Plot
Tommy Tucker (Jessie Matthews), an impoverished aristocrat’s daughter, is in love with radio announcer Bill Coverdale (Gene Gerrard), but he is engaged to her glamorous sister Angela (Kay Hammond), whom he does not love. Seeking a fresh start and an escape from her life of genteel poverty, Tommy leaves for Biarritz to pursue work as a nightclub singer.
Cast
- Gene Gerrard as Bill Coverdale
- Jessie Matthews as Tommy Tucker
- Kay Hammond as Angela Tucker
- Kenneth Kove as Freddie
- Binnie Barnes as Rosa
- David Miller as Sir Jeremy Tucker
- Fred Groves as Bannister Blair
- Averil Haley as Judy Blair
- Hal Gordon as Videlop
- Gordon Begg as Mumford
Critical reception
Both TV Guide and Britmovie described the film as "lightweight."[5][6]
References
- ^ Gifford, Denis (1 April 2016). British Film Catalogue: Two Volume Set – The Fiction Film/The Non-Fiction Film. Routledge. ISBN 9781317740636 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Out of the Blue (1931) – BFI". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ a b MacNab p.74
- ^ "Evergreen (1934)". Turner Classic Movies.
- ^ "Out Of The Blue". TV Guide.
- ^ "Out of the Blue – Britmovie". Britmovie. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
Bibliography
- MacNab, Geoffrey. Searching for stars: stardom and screen acting in British cinema. Cassell, 2000.