Folly To Be Wise

National Service and Launder & Gilliat comedies are such clearly marked symptoms of the '50s that one might expect their combination to distil the very essence of that dreary decade. Indeed, Launder brings James Bridie's play to the screen with a minimum of flair and ingenuity, but the themes the film deals with are intriguing. Bumbling entertainments officer Sim attempts to come to terms with youth and modernism by dispensing with the services of the local lady violinists and giving the masses what they want. That it should be a 'brains trust' of local celebrities that draws the crowds in is highly implausible, but the resulting display of middle class moral bankruptcy and celebration of working class common sense is extraordinary.