‘The Bells Go Down' is a British film made during the height of WWII by the Ealing Studios. Released in 1943 a full two years before the end of the war, it was intended as an informational, documentary-style drama about the heroics of the British Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS). They were the brave fire-fighters who responded to damage caused by the Blitz as German bombs rained down on London engulfing the city in flames.
The film, which is directed by the legendary Basil Dearden (‘The Blue Lamp', ‘Violent Playground'), has to be seen in the context in which it was made. The Blitz was a fresh memory for all cinemagoers, having occurred only a few years earlier. The British population was war-weary and had almost certainly lost loved ones and friends. A film about the horrors of war necessarily had to be heroic and feel-good in order to get audiences to want to see it.
This explains the central casting of comedian Tommy Trinder as a young East Ender who joins the AFS, alongside his unemployed pal Bob (Philip Friend). There they run up against gruff disciplinarian officer Ted Robbins (James Mason) who has no time for their youthful hijinks. Between putting out fires, we follow their everyday shenanigans. Tommy has a greyhound that he enters for races, little realising that his mother is concerned the dog is too skinny and is feeding it doughnuts – a surefire way to keep the hound from reaching top speeds. There are also romances between the young men and their wives and girlfriends.
‘The Bells Go Down' showcases an excellent ensemble cast of leading British talent. Tommy Trinder was the most popular comedian and entertainer at the time, known for his music hall and variety performances. James Mason would go on to achieve considerable success in Hollywood, featuring in the 1954 version of ‘A Star is Born' as well as Kubrick's ‘Lolita' and Hitchcock's ‘North by Northwest'. The cast also features Finlay Currie, who was David Lean's Magwich in ‘Great Expectations' and William Hartnell, who would twenty years later become the first lead in ‘Doctor Who'. At the time this film was made, he was building a reputation as a solid and dependable character actor.
The film largely succeeds in providing audiences with an insight into the activities of the AFS. It uses stock footage of burned-out buildings from the Blitz as well as effective model work to bring home the scale of the devastation upon Londoners' homes. On the other hand, the plotting is uneven, falling between being a serious film and a comedy. As such, the downbeat ending doesn't quite feel earned. It's certainly not as enjoyable as the timeless Ealing Comedies that were to come. It's a matter of taste, but I find the overly-mannered and relentlessly energetic Tommy Trinder irritating rather than endearing. Certainly the actors with more gravity and experience are the ones who engage viewers on an emotional level. Philip Friend is especially convincing when fighting fires whilst waiting for news of his wife and child's safety after bombs fall close to home.
‘The Bells Go Down' benefits from 4K restoration, so the original black and white film elements look pristine. The film was released within weeks of a semi-documentary by Humphrey Jennings called ‘Fires Were Started'. It is included on the disc as an extra feature, along with a short clip of the London Auxiliary Fire Bridge Parade from 1939 and a six-minute piece on Tommy Trinder's music hall appearances on the West End called ‘Save Your Shillings and Smile'.
‘The Bells Go Down' is released as part of Studiocanal's Vintage Classics collection.
Cast: Tommy Trinder, James Mason, Philip Friend, Merlin Johns, William Hartnell, Finlay Currie, Meriel Forbes Director: Basil Dearden Writer: Roger MacDougall Released by: Studiocanal Certificate: PG Duration: 90 mins Release date: June 24th 2024 Buy ‘The Bells Go Down'
