The Gentle Sex

"Seven 'gentle' British girls who decide to "do their bit" and help out during World War II."

1943 1h 32m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 12

ComedyDramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During the War seven women from very different backgrounds find themselves together in the Auxiliary Territorial Services. They are soon drilling, driving lorries, and manning ack-ack batteries.

“Seven 'gentle' British girls who decide to "do their bit" and help out during World War II.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Joan Gates
Gwen Hayden
Jean Gillie
Jean Gillie
Joan Greenwood
Betty Miller
Joyce Howard
Anne Lawrence
Rosamund John
Maggie Fraser
Lilli Palmer
Erna Debruski
Barbara Waring
Joan Simpson
John Justin
Flying Officer David Sheridan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leslie Howard
Writers: Moie Charles
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

83 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leslie Howard, shot by Robert Krasker. 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 John Greenwood. 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 Charles Saunders 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

Joan Gates and Jean Gillie and Joan Greenwood carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Seven 'gentle' British girls who decide to "do their bit" and help out during World War II.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0035931 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leslie Howard directs. Robert Krasker behind the camera. John Greenwood scores. Charles Saunders cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Leslie Howard, shot by Robert Krasker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Greenwood. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Charles Saunders shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Joan Gates and Jean Gillie and Joan Greenwood carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Seven 'gentle' British girls who decide to "do their bit" and help out during World War II.".
7IMDB entry: tt0035931 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 12 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Original score: John Greenwood
Editing: Charles Saunders
Makeup / hair: Marjorie Whittle
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Gentle Sex (1943)

Also by

Leslie Howard

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-26
★ 6/10
This is more of a docu-drama, depicting as it does the efforts of the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in the UK during WWII. It's not quite propaganda - it does show some of the hairier, scarier aspects of their jobs amidst the war - but it does largely focus on the huge range of tasks they undertook from sight-ranging for the guns trying to stop the doodlebugs to driving essential supplies from one end of the country to the other to keep the logistical wheels of warfare working efficiently. Leslie Howard has interwoven these factually based scenarios with some strong fictional characterisations from the likes of Joan Greenwood and Lilli Palmer supported by John Laurie, Jimmy Handley and Miles Malleson to create a tapestry effect merging the varied aspects of their lives. It's a fascinating - if maybe just a bit too dry - film to watch that showcases well all the sterling efforts involved.

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