Went the Day Well?

"Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, freedom we died for you."

1942 1h 32m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 79

WarThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The quiet village of Bramley End is taken over by German troops posing as Royal Engineers. Their task is to disrupt England's radar network in preparation for a full scale German invasion. Once the villagers discover the true identity of the troops, they do whatever they can to thwart the Nazis plans.

“Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, freedom we died for you.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Leslie Banks
Oliver Wilsford
Elizabeth Allan
Peggy
Frank Lawton
Tom Sturry
Basil Sydney
Major Hammond / Kommandant Orlter
Valerie Taylor
Nora Ashton
Mervyn Johns
Charlie Sims
Edward Rigby
Bill Purvis
Marie Lohr
Mrs. Dolly Fraser

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alberto Cavalcanti
Writers: Diana Morgan, John Dighton, Angus MacPhail
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

ERA

Did you know

84 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, shot by Wilkie Cooper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Leslie Banks and Elizabeth Allan and Frank Lawton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, freedom we died for you.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0035429 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 79 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alberto Cavalcanti directs. Wilkie Cooper behind the camera. William Walton scores. Sidney Cole cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, shot by Wilkie Cooper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by William Walton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Sidney Cole shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Leslie Banks and Elizabeth Allan and Frank Lawton carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, freedom we died for you.".
7IMDB entry: tt0035429 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 79 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "countryside", "nazi", "village", "world war ii".

The technical file

Cinematography: Wilkie Cooper
Original score: William Walton
Editing: Sidney Cole
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Went the Day Well? (1942)

Also by

Alberto Cavalcanti

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 7/10
As films actually made during WWII go, this one has the unique distinction of being about the prospect of a British town actually being controlled by the Nazis. Basil Sydney portrays the German Major charged with bringing the villagers to heel in advance of the invasion - and with the help of a local collaborator sets about his task with ruthless efficiency. What makes this all the more fascinating a watch, is that all the characters - including David Farrar and Leslie Banks - are British - there are no German imports into this taut adaptation of Graham Greene's story.

Production companies