St. Martin's Lane

"A heart-stirring drama of peace-time London!"

1938 1h 25m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 28

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Pickpocket Libby is protected by aging street performer Charles, who takes her into his troupe. Libby's dancing leads her to meet songwriter Harley and launch a stage career, while Charles is seemingly spurned by the waif he has helped.

“A heart-stirring drama of peace-time London!”

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Cast

Charles Laughton
Charles Staggers
Vivien Leigh
Liberty
Rex Harrison
Harley Prentiss
Larry Adler
Constantine Dan
Tyrone Guthrie
Gentry
Maire O'Neill
Mrs. Such
Gus McNaughton
Arthur Smith
Polly Ward
Frankie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tim Whelan
Writers: Clemence Dane
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

88 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tim Whelan, shot by Jules Kruger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Arthur Johnston. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Hamer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Laughton and Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A heart-stirring drama of peace-time London!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0030746 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tim Whelan directs. Jules Kruger behind the camera. Arthur Johnston scores. Robert Hamer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
288 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Tim Whelan, shot by Jules Kruger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Arthur Johnston. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Robert Hamer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charles Laughton and Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A heart-stirring drama of peace-time London!".
8IMDB entry: tt0030746 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 28 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jules Kruger
Original score: Arthur Johnston
Editing: Robert Hamer
Production design: Thomas N. Morahan
Costume design: John Armstrong
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: St. Martin's Lane (1938)

Also by

Tim Whelan

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-20
★ 7/10
There's quite a lot of depth to this tale of London's theatre-land buskers just as their importance started to wain. Charles Laughton ("Charlie") scratches a living reciting Kipling to those waiting in queues for theatres and cinemas when he encounters Vivien Leigh ("Liberty") who dances, mimics and picks pockets for a living. She has attracted the attentions of impresario Rex Harrison ("Harley") who sees some potential in the young girl and her career is launched! There's a bit of an unlikely love story between Laughton and Leigh, and as the latter's star rises - the relationship is tested. The characterisations from Laughton are funny and decent; Leigh shows clearly what made her a star and Harrison also brings a certain class to the proceedings. It's also an interesting observation of just how the whole street entertainer culture offered everything from eloquent poetry and vibrant dancing to roast chestnuts and petty larceny as recently as the 1930s. It's rarely seen nowadays, but if you get an opportunity then this is certainly a film that belies it's low-key status with some good writing; characterful performances, laughs and gentle pathos.

Production companies