Desert Mice (1959) User Reviews

Every Night Something Awful

[ianlouisiana · 6/10 · 24 November 2006]

The best thing about this is the title.During the second world war those game thesps and troupers who trod the boards in third rate halls up and down the country were inducted into an organisation that called itself Entertainment National Service Association.Known as ENSA for short,or,rather cruelly,Every Night Something Awful. Many of these performers were not of the highest calibre,but,my goodness,they were all game. At the time of its release "Desert Mice" would have had a pleasing ring of nostalgia for its audience.Today it serves only as a historical document.It seems as far distant as the Golden Age of Variety itself. This is a cheap movie.Every penny that wasn't spent shows on the screen.When people talk disparagingly about British Comedy this is the sort of stuff they mean,but,to film fans of a certain age it does have its pleasures.Albeit rather guilty ones;how can we enjoy such hand -me -down stuff,clumsily made,laughably acted as it is? Well,I suppose the answer is that its very in your face Britishness is refreshing.No Continental Sophistication here,no clever - clever Oxbridge satire,no subtlety,no chance you'll miss the point in a labyrinthine mise en scene.Before TV,people played Empires and Palladiums for years with acts like these,they never changed them,there was no need to.Nobody sought their opinion on World Issues,nobody gave a toss about their sexuality,they were entertainers and that's all they were.If you were sitting in a fox-hole near El - Alamein or a ruined Château 40 kilometres from Paris waiting to attack an armoured Wermacht division,an elderly soprano singing "Ah sweet mystery of life" accompanied by a piano with half its keys missing could sound like a choir of angels.

Slight British WW2 comedy

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 31 August 2016]

DESERT MICE is something of a disappointing British comedy given the pedigree of talent involved. It's a film about ENSA - the Entertainments National Service Association - who were basically entertainers who went around the army and gave the troops something to think about other than the threat of imminent death and destruction. The setting for this film is France and latterly North Africa, as a small group of entertainers become involved with a stuffy major who doesn't want them anywhere near his men.

This film is going to be of instant appeal thanks to the appearance of the likes of Sid James and Dora Bryan in leading roles, but it's fair to say that the actors don't have a great deal to work with here. The comedy is laboured and genteel, like something out of the 1940s, rather than the then-modern likes of the burgeoning CARRY ON series. Much of the jokes come at the expense of Alfred Marks as the stuffy major, but his is a one-note performance that starts feeling repetitive after he has about five minutes of screen time.

There are elements to enjoy here, including a fast pace and big cast, and even the plot - in which the entertainers end up foiling a genuine German plot spearheaded by Marius Goring - is mildly enjoyable. But the emphasis is on "mildly", because ultimately this is a forgettable and extremely slight production. Watch out for the lovely Liz Fraser, whose figure is showed off to the maximum, a hard-working Reginald Beckwith as the magician, and the funny Irene Handl.

Great Cast but one of the worse directed British Films I have seen

[3DPhil · 3/10 · 21 May 2022]

I could not get into this film at all, the cast really tried thair best but after about 45 mins I was wanting it to please end, I am a great fan of 50's british comedy, but this film was just awfuly directed, it was all over the place, at times never made any sence or was so over the top that it killed any hope of laughs.

It's a shame as the director has done some wonderful work in other departments, but i am not surprised that he only directed on 4 occations.

these people have done damned well, oink-oink!

[Brucey_D · 7/10 · 1 February 2017]

This film is, as others have pointed out, both slight and cheaply made. Nor does it make the best of its cast. However it is not anywhere near as poor as its rating here suggests.

It serves as both an affectionate tribute to ENSA and a comedy of sorts. Yes the humour is broad and yes the entertainment value is patchy; but then so it was with ENSA too, so it all makes sense.

Most ENSA performers knew they weren't first class; " there's not enough of those to go round though..." and were just trying to do their bit. The sheer awfulness of some acts is well-shown by the lady and her farmyard noises; the other performers can't even bear to witness her rehearsals! However the sheer awfulness of war must have made even the worst acts a welcome distraction.

There are a few touching moments too; in the depths of the desert, soldiers hum and whistle by firelight, the tune of 'Lili Marlene' echoing amongst the dunes. Both sides in the desert war sang this tune, and both sides used 'Jerry cans' too; we have the Germans to thank for both! The film is enlivened by a sub-plot involving some Germans disguised as British soldiers in the desert, whom ENSA are to 'entertain'.

I will admit to laughing out loud during their training: "...As Pritish soldiers, you must grumble endlessly, und drink tea incessantly....zer are three phrases that will cover every occasion; "jolly good show", "where's the flipping char?", und "Yanks go home"....".

The ENSA troupe's suspicions are aroused when the (German) audience, having sat through performances both dire and (to them) teeth grating, such as "there'll always be an England", then applaud rapturously, something they are clearly not used to...

So yes, this film is a long way from perfect; the vehicles are all wrong, and 'the desert' is clearly a beach somewhere.... but if you enjoy the St. Trinians films, the Carry On films, and have seen all those, albeit that it isn't near as good, this film is worth a look.