Skywatch (1960) User Reviews

Odd mixes of laughs and seriousness

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 25 October 2016]

LIGHT UP THE SKY! is one of those British WW2 comedies that acted as precursors to DAD'S ARMY and at times the similarities between the two productions are remarkable. This film's plot sees a constantly exasperated Ian Carmichael in charge of a searchlight squad whose job is to literally light up the sky whenever an enemy plane approaches. It sounds like a relatively straightforward job but of course in a comedy like this almost everything goes wrong.

Given the limited nature of the men's mission, a lot of this film is padded out with endless comedy scenes and character work. Some characters are homesick, others are in love, and the arguments are endless. Sadly, this didn't make very satisfying viewing for me, even though the cast is exemplary, featuring a mix of straight and comic actors. Victor Maddern is the depressed corporal, Tommy Steele and Johnny Briggs the fresh recruits, and the reliable Sydney Tafler one of the men. Benny Hill stands out as a soldier with a stand-up routine. There are also cameos from Dick Emery, Sheila Hancock, and Cardew Robinson.

I found Carmichael a bit of a distraction in this film as it looks like he's wearing false eyebrows, although I could be wrong. The bookend scenes in which he breaks the fourth wall to address the viewer directly are fun. LIGHT UP THE SKY! is an odd mix of character drama and humour, and the tragic moments of the story sit uncomfortably with the belly laughs elsewhere. I've seen better British war comedies from the era, for example CARRY ON SERGEANT.

Reluctant Heroes.......

[ianlouisiana · 7/10 · 5 August 2017]

Probably 10 years too late to have much impact,"Light up the sky"is really a forgotten film. It has the right cast,just the wrong subject.Searchlight battalions were hardly exciting material for audiences accustomed to seeing British Tommies,Matelots or Brylcreem Boys performing heroics against the Hun. After all,sitting night after night pointing a big torch into the sky must have a limited appeal to the two and nines. A pity because the actors play it for rather more than it's worth. Led by Mr I.Carmichael playing the decent compassionate officer as was his wont,Messrs Hill,Steele,Maddern,Locke,Tafler et al perform creditably at roles that at least the latter three will have been very familiar with. The director tries hard to inject a little excitement near the end when the crew succeeds in downing a Luftwaffe bomber but it's beyond the technology of the age to make it even slightly convincing. The idea of presenting the film in flashback form frankly doesn't work and the attempt to "age" Mr Carmichael with a few lines of Leichner and white powder in his hair merely embarrassing. That aside,the chance of seeing stalwarts of British Cinema in their pomp is irresistible and a wonderful tribute to their longevity as audience favourites.

Dying, It Turns Out, Is Not Easy Either

[boblipton · 5/10 · 28 November 2020]

Somewhere in Europe, during the Second World War, a group of young men make up a Searchlight Squad. If an adventure is days of boredom interrupted by short bouts of terror, this is an adventure.... but for most of it they spend their time bickering, picking up women, and worrying about what's for dinner.

It's a comedian's show, with Ian Carmichael, Tommy Steele and Benny Hill at the top of the cast list, yet they are all tamping down their performances. If you've ever observed a comic actor giving a serious performance only to be surprised and impressed, you shouldn't be. As Edmund Kean said on his deathbed, dying is easy; it's comedy that's hard. Yet this quasi-service comedy tries to alternate the comedy with the difficulties of actual war, and doesn't really manage the first half of the remit. The actors step on the punchlines, deliberately.... but the result is 75 minutes of boredom, and 15 minutes of terror.

Interesting cast in stagey wartime light comedy

[Marlburian · 6/10 · 4 August 2019]

I've just watched this film on the excellent British TV channel Talking Pictures.

Perhaps its best feature is the cast, almost all of whom I recognised, with several being on their way to greater things. Dick Emery has a few brief scenes as a driver, and it was interesting to see Benny Hill in a few non-comedic scenes depicting various emotions - sympathy, irritation, brotherly protectiveness.

His double-act on stage with Tommy Steele was wince-provoking, though I suppose it typified 1940s' entertainment. I couldn't make out the point of Sheila Hancock's terrible singing - it was incredibly bad.

The stage origins of the film are very obvious.

Others have queried the opening and closing scenes of village cricket matches before and after the war. I suppose they could have been meant to portray the quintessential English life that Britain sort to protect, but perhaps this is a subtlety beyond the modest aspirations of this film.

Wikipedia tells us that Tommy Steele deferred £7,500 of his fee, which perhaps is why he was allowed to escape a military haircut.

I'm puzzled as to why the IMDB lists the cast as, for example, "Ian Carmichael ... Lt. Ogleby (as Lt. Ian Carmichael)".

Uneven wartime comedy drama shows its stage origins

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 11 February 2012]

When this film was made war films were very popular at the box office.Privates On Parade was the first film to poke fun at the army followed by Carry On Sergeant,and contemporaneously with this film Very Important Person.This film betrays its stage origins by spending far too long in the confines of the squad hut.A good cast is really not given enough comedy situations to handle.the tragedy and drama don't mix well with the comedy.There is a rather artificial beginning and end which is most unsatisfactory.Ian Carmichaels character is strangely written and portrayed.he treats his men as errant children rather than men.It is little surprise that Lewis Gilbert does not mention this film in his autobiog.It is clearly a film that he would prefer to forget.

Well worth watching.

[mail-2978 · 10/10 · 4 August 2006]

Before seeing this film I had only ever seen Benny Hill as the comic, seeing him in a straight role was a real eye opener because, in this film, he proved was a good straight actor as well. Combining Tommy Steele with Benny Hill was also a brainwave because they worked so well together as you can see from their performance of the title song " Light up the Sky. " The cast is full of good old British stalwarts such Ian Carmichael, still acting today and Dick Emery who was a brilliant comic in his own right. If you add back up from the likes of Victor Maddern, Sydney Tafler, Johnny Briggs and Sheila Hancock you have the makings of a truly excellent British movie. Sadly it is never shown on British TV and I have, so far, been unable to find a copy on VHS or DVD. If you do manage to find a copy of this film or you are lucky enough to see it on TV I can thoroughly recommend it.

If You Can't Reach For It, Light It Up!

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 31 August 2008]

Lewis Gilbert has been responsible for some of the best British pictures ever made - 'Reach For The Sky', 'Alfie', 'Sink The Bismarck!', 'Carve Her Name With Pride', 'H.M.S. Defiant', and 'Educating Rita'. He also made three Bond romps, of which 'The Spy Who Loved Me' was easily the best.

Not so well-known among his credits is this superb war movie, set in a British army camp whose searchlight is directed at the sky whenever there is a night-time bombing raid. Lt.Ogleby ( known to his men as 'Oggie' ), played by Ian Carmichael, presides over an 'absolute shower' ( to borrow a phrase from 'Private's Progress' ). The cook, the perpetually coughing Roland ( Harry Locke ) aspires to be a cordon bleu chef, serving the men fancy meals they do not want - they prefer chips! Brothers Eric ( Tommy Steele ) and Sid McCaffey ( Benny Hill ) seem more interested in honing their music-hall comedy double-act act than in the war. Another, Smith ( future 'Coronation Street' star Johnny Briggs ), becomes so concerned about the fate of his girlfriend ( she has found a new man ) that he goes A.W.O.L. to sort things out. Luckily, their Commanding Officer is a decent sort of chap. When Oggie finds out where Smith is, he travels to Sheffield to get him back double-quick.

Like 'Alfie' and 'Educating Rita', this began life as a play, but has been opened out sufficiently without compromising its integrity. It switches from comedy to tragedy a number of times, yet never becomes disjointed. Despite the outrageous capers the men get up to ( when 'Oggie' goes on leave, they steal ducks from the local farmer, and treat themselves to a posh dinner ), they are conscientious and do not shirk from danger when it presents itself.

The music-hall scene contains original Benny Hill material, and I would not be surprised if he contributed some of the other gags too. When carrying a stolen bath back to the camp, Sid and Eric are stopped by an officer who wants to know what they are up to. "Taking a bath, sir!", snaps Sid, an answer that seems to satisfy the officer.

Though Carmichael has top billing, 'Oggie' is really nothing more than a supporting role. Tommy Steele manages to be a pain in the neck ( impregnating a farmer's daughter while married to someone else ) but that is the way the character is written. Victor Maddern and Sydney Tafler are outstanding ( both were stalwarts of British cinema ), as is the underrated Harry Locke as 'Roland' the cook.

But the stand-out performance comes from Benny Hill as the wisecracking 'Sid'. His contributions to the big screen by and large consisted of minor parts in films such as 'The Italian Job' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. Here he is given a leading role, and grabs it with both hands. If you only know him from his Thames show, prepare to be shocked. He steals every scene he is in. Just check out the moment where he loses his temper after Eric confesses his infidelity. It is astonishing that he was never given a film role of this calibre again.

Sheila Hancock ( the late John Thaw's wife ) pops up as a talentless theatre singer, and the great Dick Emery has a few scenes as a van driver.

Watching 'Sky' it is hard not to be reminded of 'Dad's Army' ( like the opening episode 'The Man & The Hour', it also begins in the present day before flashing back to W.W.2 ), nor - surprisingly - of 'Auf Wiedershen Pet' - which also featured working-class men living uncomfortably together in a hut.

My only complaint is the running time - too short! I could cheerfully have sat through half-hour or so. An underrated classic.

P;ease read if you are interested in the film

[wes2001-1 · 10/10 · 2 November 2006]

It has been many a year since I have seen "Light Up The Sky" but the first and remaining impression was one of Honesty. The presented story, acting and setting is completely honest.It reflects a real sentiment of the times and that for my opinion is very rare.The only down side is that the whole historical times of the film are very much sliding into the fast vanishing past. The film will be forgotten and our memories will die with us...very sad. You can sometimes obtain a used VHS tape from Ebay but it always reaches over $40. Why this is so has been a surprise to me not for the lack of quality in the film to command a good price but the persons around who are willing to purchase.

This film is a classic.

[iangon2000 · 10/10 · 24 January 2019]

A unique film about a WWII searchlight battery. Great cast. Benny Hill is brilliant as a straight actor. I served in the last British Army Searchlight Squadron, 873 Movement Light Squadron. Royal Engineers. Technically the film is spot on and the special effects are good. I first saw this film when it first came out and have seen it several times since on TV. TV Choice give it one star. Shame on them. Ian

Brilliant, took me by surprise.

[rick-255-406003 · 10/10 · 22 January 2019]

You look at the cast and expect an out and out comedy. Instead what you get is a surprisingly well acted and poignant film that tells the story of a searchlight battery in world war two.

Classic 50 s British movie

[donno1418 · 8/10 · 10 April 2019]

When I was 8 my mother took me to see this as Tommy Steele was a big star to us kids . Everyone was singing ' Little White Bull' . I remember I enjoyed it especially when the German bombers appear . Benny Hill is his usual self . Seeing it now brings back memories . It's still a pretty decent film