Rent That Hamilton Woman (1941)

Good in parts - That Hamilton Woman review by SB

This film, ostensibly British but made in the USA in the darkest days of WWII, is the story of Emma Hart's rise to being Lady Hamilton and then mistress of Nelson, but is also a propaganda piece about Britain's role in securing liberty etc (no mention of the British Empire' s history here). The settings are typically Hollywood-lavish (especially in the Italian section), and the sea battles might have been better not attempted, but it all moves along at a fair pace. The acting laurels must go to Vivien Leigh who is not just beautiful but also vivacious and believable as the street girl turned ambassadress, and also perhaps to Alan Mowbray as her devious but put-upon husband. Laurence Olivier plays Nelson and a dull dog he is too, a major casting mistake - although no doubt there were marketing reasons, and pressure from Ms Leigh for personal reasons.