Burgess Meredith served with the US Air Force during World War II and came to the UK to make a light-hearted documentary, "A Welcome to Britain", advising GIs about the British way of life. Three years after the War ended, he returned to Britain to write and produce a similarly quirky film, this time reporting on how Britain was adapting in peace time. The conceit is that Meredith fails to make the film he wants (written by Coward, Greene and GBS), but is accompanied on research trips by an eager two-man film crew, who end up making the film we're watching. The message for the world is that productivity is up in many industries, but ordinary folk don't like rationing. As with the earlier film, Burgess pulls in favours from famous friends. The biggest star making a cameo here is Paulette Goddard. Meredith's style is relatively adventurous. There are plenty of jump cuts and zip pans. The comedy is now laboured, but the concept is fun and Meredith's final soliloquy, likening Britain to a wounded lion, is still stirring. Some scenes are staged (Meredith plainly isn't in a Welsh coal mine) but the real locations are great. Unbilled are strongwoman Joan Rhodes and one of William Friese-Greene's sons. Does anyone know which one? Whoever he is, he's a terrible actor. And that's Ronald Chesney playing the harmonica.
Review of A Yank Comes Back
