The Turners of Prospect Road (1947) User Reviews

A Dog's Life

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 3 April 2020]

The title is very misleading as it suggests a domestic subject, when it's actually about greyhound racing.

Attractively shot largely on location, and padded out with a rather raw portrayal of the spiv economy in the form of Peter Bull & Desmond Tester (who eleven years earlier had both been in Hitchcock's 'Sabotage') as a shady pair attempting to muscle in on father & daughter Turners' action.

The gently soothing cinematic equivalent of scarfing up one too many generously buttered crumpets!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 26 October 2021]

A warmly wholesome shaggy dog's tale about an adorable grey whippet puppy, and the bright-eyed travails of flat-footed pooch 'Blackie' is a veritable canine Rocky of greyhound racing, a good-humoured, sweetly nostalgic 1940s romp, so you'd be barking mad to miss it! 'The Turners of Prospect Road' has a delightfully woolly headed charm that rabid dog lovers will find especially appealing, a well acted, emotionally rewarding drama that bounds joyfully over the finish line to a rousing climax, and should get your weary tail wagging enthusiastically in avid appreciation of this plucky, raven-haired hounds furry entertaining exploits! And once again the hugely talented character actor Wilfrid Lawson delivers another immaculate performance as the kind-hearted proletariat father Will Turner. 'The Turners of Prospect Road' is the gently soothing cinematic equivalent of imbibing a piping hot mug of nut-brown tea and scarfing up one too many generously buttered crumpets!

Hot Dog

[writers_reign · 5/10 · 26 July 2020]

For years I laboured under the misapprehension that this was a piece of blatant propaganda produced by the Ministry of Information to encourage Britain to get back on its feet in the immediate post-WW2 years (the sort of product the government should be churning out post-Lockdown, in fact). Now that I've caught up with it at last it turns out to be a fairly bland, hopelessly naïve entry about a girl (as opposed to a boy) and a dog, shady characters, and the twilight world of greyhound racing. It has a begining, a middle, and an end, all achieved in 80 minutes, with no time for finesse. Amy Veness and Peter Bull make unlikely bedfellows but it's Wilfrid Lawson in a rare everyman role who steals the little worth stealing. A sort of Robert Newton-lite. wonderfully eccentric, career alcoholics both they enhanced almost anything they cared to grace. A real curio.

A surprising charmer.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 7 April 2024]

I was overjoyed to find out how much I liked this one, not expecting much on a film about greyhound dog racing. But the two major characters involved, the cab driver and his daughter (Wilfrid Lawson and Maureen Glynne), are quite likeable, and once Lawson puts fish wife spouse Helena Pickard in her place about taking the lost puppy in, I liked him even more.

The dog, deliberately left in the cab by the self centered Jeanne de Casalis, becomes the breadwinner of the struggling Turner family, and thanks to Glynne's pal Shamus Locke, the hound begins winning big. But criminal elements are furious over losing and this creates an effort to steal it.

Even though her part is pretty small, Amy Veness is funny and loveable as the grandmother. Peter Bull is the heavy, both personally and physically. I'm certainly not a fan of the dog racing sport, but the way this is presented is completely charming and fresh. "Black Michael", the dog, isn't a major focus as most of the action focuses on the Turner family, so there's no forced cuteness dominating the film.

Last starting role for Lawson

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 30 May 2020]

Wilfred Lawson was a great actor who starred in many thirties and forties films.However he had one by drawback,he was an alcoholic.This is his last starting role.His next credit,in a supporting part,is in 1952.Sadly this is not a distinguished swansong.It centres of the now almost extinct activity of greyhound racing.Lawson plays the owner of a greyhound,whilst Peter Bill Bill plays to type as the villain.It is all very pre.