The Weaker Sex 1948
The Weaker Sex
A British housewife does her own battles against the enemy during World War II.
A British housewife does her own battles against the enemy during World War II.
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All 0 Videos & 3 Photoscast
Full Cast & Crew... Martha Dacre
... Geoffrey Radcliffe
... Helen Dacre Winan
... Lt. Comdr. Nigel Winan
... Mrs. Gaye
... Soldier with Chicken
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews09 Jul 2022 by CinemaSerf
I found the title of this rather classy wartime drama a bit misleading. Though it is told from the perspective of the widowed "Martha" (Ursula Jeans) and focusses on the stay at home elements of fighting during WWII - there isn't really anything weak about her dedication to her duties; nor of those of her counterparts. She plays her character with poignancy, dealing with the day-to-day trials and tribulations reconciling her work and her home - in which she billets RN commander "Geoffrey" (Cecil Parker) and sailor "Roddy" whilst her own two children are away serving. From a narrative perspective it climaxes with the D-Day landings and, intercut with War Office actuality, conveys a genuine sense of the fraught anticipation of those at home. Once the war has been won, the story rather peters out - a few fun jibes at the pains of rationing, and that most British of all things - the queue; and there is a degree of stoic, stiff upper lip-ness about the attitudes that makes the characterisations plausible and engaging, but it does slip a little into melodrama. There are a few welcome cameos from Thora Hird as their housekeeper (and, briefly, from Bill Owen with whom she starred in "Last of the Summer Wine" some 60-odd years later) and Kynaston Reeves. The story isn't all plain sailing: grim reality raises it's ugly head now and again, but that is handled subtly and isn't dwindled upon - helping the proceedings march along at a decent pace. I expect this went down well with audiences in 1948 - it's good.
Genres:
Release Date:
Oct 11, 1948 (United Kingdom)
Run Time:
1hr 24`
MMPA Rating:
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United Kingdom
Status:
Released

Related Movies To
The Weaker Sex
I found the title of this rather classy wartime drama a bit misleading. Though it is told from the perspective of the widowed "Martha" (Ursula Jeans) and focusses on the stay at home elements of fighting during WWII - there isn't really anything weak about her dedication to her duties; nor of those of her counterparts. She plays her character with poignancy, dealing with the day-to-day trials and tribulations reconciling her work and her home - in which she billets RN commander "Geoffrey" (Cecil Parker) and sailor "Roddy" whilst her own two children are away serving. From a narrative perspective it climaxes with the D-Day landings and, intercut with War Office actuality, conveys a genuine sense of the fraught anticipation of those at home. Once the war has been won, the story rather peters out - a few fun jibes at the pains of rationing, and that most British of all things - the queue; and there is a degree of stoic, stiff upper lip-ness about the attitudes that makes the characterisations plausible and engaging, but it does slip a little into melodrama. There are a few welcome cameos from Thora Hird as their housekeeper (and, briefly, from Bill Owen with whom she starred in "Last of the Summer Wine" some 60-odd years later) and Kynaston Reeves. The story isn't all plain sailing: grim reality raises it's ugly head now and again, but that is handled subtly and isn't dwindled upon - helping the proceedings march along at a decent pace. I expect this went down well with audiences in 1948 - it's good.
Cast & Crew of
The Weaker Sex
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Martha Dacre
... Geoffrey Radcliffe
... Helen Dacre Winan
... Lt. Comdr. Nigel Winan
... Mrs. Gaye
... Soldier with Chicken
... Lolly
JS
John Stone... Roddy
DW
Digby Wolfe... Benjie
... Harriet Lessing
... Captain Dishart
...
...
... Mrs. Maling
...
...
... Shop Supervisor
... Woman in Fish Queue
VK
Vi Kaley... Old Woman on Sea Front
... Clippie