Claudio C
It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)
Life of Common People in the Post-War London
(11,581 – 01 Apr 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho)
In the East End of London, in the post-war, Rose Sandigate (Googie Withers) is married with George Sandigate (Edward Chapman), who is fifteen years older than she. Rose has two teenage stepdaughters, the rebel Vi (Susan Shaw) and Doris (Patricia Plunkett) from his first marriage, and the boy Alfie (David Lines). Rose reads on a newspaper that Tommy Swann (John McCallum) broke out the Dartmoor prison, after serving four years for a sentence of seven years for robbery with violence and recalls when she was a barmaid and Tommy was her fiancé. Out of the blue, Rose finds Tommy hidden in the shelter of her house, tired, starved, wet and cold. During the night, when she is alone, she brings Tommy into the house while her family is out; hides him in her bedroom and locks the door. Meanwhile, the relentless Det. Fothergill (Jack Warner), who is chasing Tommy, visits Rose to find out if she has seen him recently.
“It Always Rains on Sunday” (1947) is a British dramatic crime film showing the life of common people in the post-war London. The plot is based on the rekindle of the romance of Rose and the escapee Tommy Swann, who was his love and fiancé. The story is very short; therefore, the screenplay introduces several believable subplots to fill the 92 minutes running time. There are unforgettable scenes, like Tommy trying to escape from the three police detectives in the railway yard. Or the funny scene where the owner of the boarding house goes to bed after the police wake up her and scratches her butt; or the boys blackmailing the owner of a store. It is not clear whether Alfie is Tommy or George’s son, and the sex between Rose and Tommy is subtle. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): “Sempre Chove aos Domingos” (“It Always Rains on Sunday”)
My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
04/14/25
Full Review
Audience Member
Ealing Studios were, of course, best known for comedies. '"It Always Rains on Sunday', however, is not a comedy but a crime drama, an example of the studio's more serious output. The action is set in Bethnal Green, a working class district of East London, in the years following the end of the Second World War... London Gothic-Among the living, in Old Bethnal Green--Film Noir defies definition, plenty disagree whether its a movement, genre, style. Perhaps its more usefully conceived as a sensibility, a world view, an attitude. In which case the words pessimism, determinism ie characters lacking choices in their lives are predetermined, doom, gloom, the past coming back to affect the present all spring to mind... Dynamic British romantic thriller with a cracking script and an outstanding final reel, crammed full of delectable performances from a fine group of character actors!!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This British Film Noir starts off really well as it explores the various lives of the working class and criminals in Bethnal Green. Unfortunately as the various story arcs start to link together it begins to feel more and more contrived. Ultimately by the end as a viewer you're left pretty unsatisfied with the films conclusion as well.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Very clever British noir. Googie Withers is wonderful as Rose, the bored housewife whose life suddenly becomes more thrilling when an old flame turns to her for help. Highly recommended!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The film is a remarkable combination of British social realism and film noir. It seems social realism is the winner for much of the film and all the myriad of characters are acutely observed and brilliantly acted.
The cops and robbers string is sometimes fairly thin on the ground as the Rose Sandigate (Googie Withers) risks a prison sentence and her marriage to help a girl hood flame, small time crim Tommy Swan who is on the run pursued by the relentless Detective Sgt Fothergill who seems not only to know everyone but never be off duty. The Noir theme does however payoff in an remarkable and exciting chase sequence. There is added poignancy as it is revealed that the romance meant much more to Rose than it ever meant to Tommy. Like many films of this era and genre, post war rationing and hardship seems to be an enduring presence in the daily life of ordinary people, and incidentally, the black market which a lot of ordinary people tolerate is the major economic opportunity and driver of criminal activity. Ultimately the film is about the power of that first love (or moreover the overwhelming love of one's life at whatever age it occurs) and the way it blinds us to the risks and dangers of pursuing that dream
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Above-average British melodrama with slight film noir-ish overtones.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
Full Review
Read all reviews
Continue with Google
>
