Medal for the General

Godfrey Tearle played the crusty old duffer in Powell & Pressburger's 'One of Our Aircraft is Missing' who inspired 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' (the cast of which ironically also included John Laurie, who looks older here than he did a quarter of a century later in 'Dad's Army'; and previous reviewers have already suggested why didn't the General just join the Home Guard?)

The film makes no bones about what a self-centred old curmudgeon the old man was before he swallows his pride and takes on a gaggle of cockney evacuees (including a debuting Pet Clark) rather remiscent of the war orphans brought under her wing the previous year by Deanna Durbin in 'The Amazing Mrs Holliday', who eventually soften his hard old heart.