Rent It's a Grand Life (1953)

A Classic B&W for viewing the early 50s but little else - It's a Grand Life review by AW

Frank Randle was just before my time but I chose this on Cinema Paradiso because I was interested to see a comedian who was particularly big up to the 50s but then seemed to be virtually forgotten afterwards. There's hardly any plot to this drivel and far too much time is spent with Randle endlessly going on with an almost unintelligible delivery, not much of which was funny or even worth a chuckle. Could really have done with subtitles but with the machine-gun delivery I suppose it could never have kept up. He endures an awful lot of action and movement and slapstick discomfort but again very little is subtle or hilarious.

Diana Dors at the beginning of her career is splendid and shows how polished and committed an actress she always was, never mind the blonde bombshell association.

Apparently includes Arthur White (David Jason's older brother) but unless I misheard the character's name, Pte.Pendergast seemed to be a minute wizened looking man who looked old even then. I'm wondering if the billing is mistaken.

First time I'd seen or heard Winifred Atwell's playing although I'd heard of her and knew she was big. Almost worth seeing this film for that alone. Hard to think that even then she fought prejudice and discrimination because of her colour but she lived happily for many years accepted by the Australians. Embarrassingly the Americans failed to extend the same warm welcome as this was nearly 20 years before the American fight for Civil Rights.

A Joke Too Far - It's a Grand Life review by CP Customer

Billed as fast moving, however the film was filled jokes taken too far, well past being funny. A lot of the characters were one dimentional and the plot a bit vague. The best bit was Winifred Atwell's piano playing, almost made the film worth watching just for that!