The Song of the Road is a 1937 British second feature ('B')[3] drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Bransby Williams, Ernest Butcher and Muriel George.[4] It was written by Gerald Elliott, H. F. Maltby and Michael Kent, and was made at Shepperton Studios.[5] Like Baxter's earlier film The Song of the Plough (1933) the film examines the effect of modern technology on traditional working practices in the countryside.
| The Song of the Road | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Trade show advertisment[1] | |
| Directed by | John Baxter |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | John Baxter |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jack Parker |
| Edited by | Sidney Stone |
| Music by | Kennedy Russell |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sound City Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editAfter the local council he works for decides to replace its horse-drawn services with motor vehicles, one of the drivers, Old Bill, spends his savings to buy the horse, Polly. Together they search the countryside looking for work, and meeting an assorted group of characters on the way.
Cast
edit- Bransby Williams as Old Bill
- Ernest Butcher as farm foreman
- Muriel George as Mrs. Trelawney
- Davy Burnaby as Mr. Keppel
- Tod Slaughter as Dan Lorenzo
- John Turnbull as Bristow
- Edgar Driver as Titch
- Fred Schwartz as Solomon
- Percy Parsons as showman
- Peggy Novak as showman's wife
- H. F. Maltby as fair proprietor
- Ernest Jay as tinker
- Robert English as chairman
- F.B.J. Sharp as committee member
- Phil Thomas as George
- Madge Brindley as sideshow owner
- Vi Kaley as Mrs. Edwards, London landlady
Reception
editThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Bransby Williams is full of dogged sentiment as Bill, but the theme seems out-of-date in a machine age long since accepted and the inveighing against mechanisation seems somewhat pointless. There are some lovely natural shots of Sussex, somewhat too obviously interpolated for their beauty rather than for their story value. There is also a good deal of simple humour, notaby from Ernest Butcher as the farm foreman and Davy Burnaby as the lovesick Keppel, whom Bill aids in his wooing of the widow Trelawney. Young people will probably find the film slow moving, but others will enjoy its quiet charm."[6]
Kine Weekly wrote: "In this sentimental drama of the English countryside, the theme, man's love for his horse, is approached from an up-to-date but far from direct angle. In fact, the film is far more topographical than narratal. Still, the scenery is exquisitely picturesque, and many of the characters are both human and amusing, and, between the two, it nanages to promote pleasant, appealing documentary entertainment."[7]
Picturegoer wrote: "Picturesque English scenery and good camera, but a very thin plot ... Bransby Williams is heavily sentimental in the leading role, but does manage to get over some good human touches. The supporting characters are quite sound. The treatment, however, is lacking in continuity and dramatic development."[8]
References
edit- ↑ "The Song of the Road". Kine Weekly. 240 (1556): 39. 11 February 1937. ProQuest 2339763747.
- ↑ Low p.388
- ↑ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-8445-7319-6.
- ↑ "The Song of the Road". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ Low, Rachael (1985). History of the British Film: Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin. p. 258. ISBN 0047910429.
- ↑ "The Song of the Road". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 4 (37): 30. 1 January 1937. ProQuest 1305804711.
- ↑ "The Song of the Road". Kine Weekly. 240 (1558): 41. 25 February 1937. ProQuest 2339757669.
- ↑ "The Song of the Road". Picturegoer. 7 (324): 26. 7 August 1937. ProQuest 1771144513.