The Titfield Thunderbolt is one of the last among the famous comedies made by the Ealing Studios under the command of Sir Michael Balcon. It is as charming as the best of them, and as absurd as the best of them, but not as funny, the presence of a great cast of British comedians notwithstanding. The trouble was that, for the first time, the absurdity of the situation was not made believable. Writing, direction and acting were too self-conscious. Perhaps Alec Guinness was missing. Anyhow, the leitmotiv of Ealing: the small winning their wars against the big, was exquisitely portrayed, the Technicolor cinematography was a delight and the picture highly entertaining. It was always better an Ealing comedy from the second drawer than no Ealing comedy at all, or a first drawer comedy from any other provider.
Review of The Titfield Thunderbolt
