All Over the Town

All Over the Town is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Derek N. Twist and starring Norman Wooland, Sarah Churchill and Cyril Cusack. It was written by Michael Gordon and Twist based on the 1947 novel by R. F. Delderfield.

Plot

After serving in the RAF during the Second World War, Nat Hearn returns to his pre-war job as a reporter on the Tormouth Clarion. He meets and is attracted to Sally Thorpe, who had replaced him when he enlisted and has been given notice now that he has returned. He arranges for her to be kept on, and they spend time together and become engaged to be married.
Later, Nat becomes a co-owner and editor of the paper, but the other co-owner disagrees with Nat's new editorial policy, which often involves upsetting people who provide the paper with much of its advertising revenue. The co-owner arranges for most of the staff to take holiday time off simultaneously to prevent Nat's opposition to Tormouth Council's proposed redevelopment scheme, from which some councillors plan to profit personally. Despite this, at a public meeting called by the council Nat and his small band of supporters manage to convince the locals to support Nat in the dispute.

Cast

Norman Wooland as Nat Hearn
Sarah Churchill as Sally Thorpe
Cyril Cusack as Gerald Vane
Ronald Adam as Sam Vane
Bryan Forbes as Trumble
James Hayter as Baines
Fabia Drake as Miss Gelding
John Salew as Sleek
Stanley Baker as Barnes
Edward Rigby as Grimmett
Patrick Doonan as Burton
Eleanor Summerfield as Beryl Hopper
Trefor Jones as Tenor
Sandra Dorne as Marlene
Hubert Leslie as Skinner
Henry Edwards as Major Martindale
Frederick Leister as Wainer
Patrick Macnee as Mr Vince
Anthony Oliver as PC Butt
Erik Chitty as Frobisher
Walter Horsbrugh as Mr Thornton
Lydia Bilbrook as Mrs Vane
Production

All Over the Town was the fourth of five films produced by Wessex Film Productions, a production company founded in 1947 by Ian Dalrymple and Jack Lee, both formerly of the Crown Film Unit. The film was shot in Lyme Regis.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The acting for the most part is good, but not outstanding. The satirical comedy and humour are good. Direction and production are adequate and the film has an exciting climax and satisfying ending."
The [New York Times] described it as a "slow, dogmatic little picture" with a "dog-eared" plot.
According to the review in The Times, the film's plot was unoriginal, executed "without inspiration or any originality of thought".

Later history

By the beginning of the 21st century the only known surviving copy of the film was the negative at the BFI National Film and Television Archive. In 2005 the Lyme Regis Film Society commissioned the production of a new print from the negative. This copy of the film is housed in Lyme Regis Museum and was shown at the local Regent Cinema on a few occasions before it burned down in 2016. Since 2018 the film has been shown on the UK television channel Talking Pictures TV.