Customer Reviews

St. Martin's Lane [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A heart-wrenching, crushingly tender tragicomedy, showing an intimate portrait of the lives of England's professional buskers, or street performers, who were on the run in the face of the modern entertainment industry. Vivian Leigh, Rex Harrison and Charles Laughton star in this powerful film, which demolishes the pollyanna-ish conventions of the American-style, Busby Berkeley-Harry Warren musicals. Laughton steals the show as Charlie, the leader of a struggling busking troupe, in a heartbreaking performance that paves the way for his famous turn as the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Beautifully shot, but also with a dynamic and well-written script, this film doesn't have a weak moment in it. I'd never heard of it before; now it's one of my favorite films.

This is a review of ST. MARTIN'S LANE (1939) directed by Tim Whelan. ST. MARTIN'S LANE is about street performers in the London theater district in the time just before WWII. They were called by the name, "Buskers." Anecdotes about their ups and downs and how one of them , Liberty, played by Vivian Leigh, actually makes a smash hit on the legitimate stage mostly because of her native wit, talent and beauty and the fact that a theatrical producer played by Rex Harrison is bonkers for her.

Pretty unusual for a theatrical film but definitely worth seeing for if nothing else, bang up performances by Charles Laughton, Rex Harrison, Larry Adler, et al. I just realized that the London theater district milieu puts me to mind of Chaplain's LIMELIGHT. While ST.MARTIN'S LANE is no LIMELIGHT it is a snapshot of a way of life that probably no lomger exists.
Four Stars.

"Sidewalks of London" (aka "St. Martin's Lane") is a 1938 black and white romantic comedy about the street performers ("buskers") in London who earn their living entertaining the people who are waiting in lines outside theatres.

Charles Laughton (1899-1962) plays a busker who specializes in speech giving. Laughton is arguably the most capable actor in Hollywood's golden era. His performances in films such as "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1936) and "Witness for the Prosecution " (1958) are peerless, and when you consider he received best actor nominations for both films, separated by more than 20 years, this speaks volumes. He won the best actor award for his portrayal in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" (1933) and gave unforgettable performances as Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Norte Dame" (1939), Inspector Javert in "Les Miserables" (1935). Laughton is marvelous.

Vivien Leigh (1913-67) plays a dancer who makes her money as a pick pocket. Leigh is best known for her stunning performances in "GWTW" (1939) as Scarlett O'Hara and as Blanche Dubois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) - she won the Oscar both times. Eventually physical problems, a miscarriage, and the difficulty of living with husband Laurence Olivier would take their toll and she began a slow descent into madness. But here in 1938 she is great and the girl who Laughton takes in.

FWIW - the only real problem with Leigh's performance is that she is too old for the part which is written for a teenager. Of course this wasn't unusual for films in the 30s or later, for that matter. Leigh also played the teenage Cleopatra when she was 32, and looked even sillier than she does here at 25.

Rex Harrison (1908-90) plays a successful composer who meets Leigh by chance and helps her become a leading lady. Harrison made 50 films and won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for "My Fair Lady" (1964) and was nominated for Golden Globes for "Cleopatra" (1963), "The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965), and "Dr. Doolittle" (1967).

American Tim Whelan (1893-1957) directs. Whelan began directing in 1928 and specialized in comedies like "Larceny Street" (1987) and "The Divorce of Lady X" (1938).

Eric Pommer (1889-1966) was a German producer famous for the UFA films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), "Dr. Mabuse" (1922), "Metropolis" (1927) and "The Blue Angel" (1930). When the Nazis took over he moved to the US and then to England where he made "Fire Over England" (1937) which is the film on which Leigh met Olivier. He formed a production company with Laughton, The Mayflower Picture Corp., and together they made this film.

The film is great fun. The "buskers" are very entertaining, and Leigh gets a chance to show what a good dancer she was. Harrison is engagingly coy, Laughton chews up the scenery, and Leigh tries to make everyone fall in love with her.

KINO markets "Sidewalks of London" under its alternate title, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.

The title is the address of Charles Staggers (Laughton), who is one of a dying breed-- a busker. These street performers were a common sight in London in the early 20th Century. For coppers and shillings, they'd "work" a crowd waiting in line outside a legitimate theater. Dancers, musicians, comedians, tumblers, singers and orators all plied their wares then passed the hat around.

Liberty (Leigh) picks pockets when she's not dancing for coin. After he sees her dance, Charles asks Libby to be his busking partner. They later form a quartet with two musicians. Songwriter Prentiss gives the talented Libby a foot up onto the legitimate stage; she eventually becomes a star. (Also outstanding here is virtuoso harmonicanist Larry Adler, who plays both on-screen and off.)

ST. MARTIN'S LANE may be found on a KINO DVD double feature with WING OF THE MORNING (1940), starring Henry Fonda.
Also available from KINO is the British classic, SOUTH RIDING (1938), with Edna Best, Ralph Richardson and Edmund Gwenn. (VHS only)


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.

(7.0) St. Martin's Lane ("Sidewalks of London") (UK-1938) - Charles Laughton/Vivien Leigh/Rex Harrison/Larry Adler/Tyrone Guthrie/Maire O'Neill/Gus McNaughton

Vivien Leigh was in this movie right before GONE WITH THE WIND!!!!!!!! But this movie is about a homeless girl who is named Liberty <nicknamed Libby>, who then a big man <charles laughton> meets Libby and takes her under his wing and gives her a home, and a job in his street performing group. But then abother man <Rex Harrison> meets Libby, and makes her a star and super famous and wealthy. But Libby wants Charles Laughton.
This movie is not a MUST SEE but it is rather good. The scenes without Vivien are kind of slow moving and dull, and the movie has the worst ending. The absoulute worst ending in a movie. She runs after Charles Laughton, and then he goes to his crew and starts a poem. Leaving Libby back to the thearter. IF YOU LIKE VIVIEN LEIGH, I'D RECCOMEND YOU SEE THIS FILM

Without the incomparable Ms. Leigh, there would be no real reason to watch this film. It is sluggishly paced when she is not onscreen, and it can be hard to care about the plot. An interesting note, though, she sings! Just a little.