Out of the Blue | |
Director: | Gene Gerrard |
Producer: | John Maxwell |
Screenplay: | Bert Lee Frank Miller R.P. Weston |
Based On: | [1] |
Starring: | Gene Gerrard Jessie Matthews Kay Hammond |
Music: | Vivian Ellis |
Cinematography: | Arthur Crabtree Ernest Palmer |
Editing: | Edward B. Jarvis |
Studio: | British International Pictures |
Runtime: | 88 minutes |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Language: | English |
Out of the Blue is a 1931 British musical film directed by Gene Gerrard and starring Gerrard, Jessie Matthews and Kay Hammond.[2] It was produced by British International Pictures at the company's Elstree Studios near London. The film's sets were designed by the art director David Rawnsley.
It was Matthews' first major film role.[3] A baronet's daughter falls in love with a radio star who is engaged to marry her sister. The film was not a success, but led to Matthews being cast in There Goes the Bride and given a contract by Gainsborough Pictures.[3] Matthews later wrote in her autobiography, "Out of the Blue was adapted from a stage musical and never should have left the boards."[4] John Orton served as a supervising director.[2]
Impoverished aristocrat's daughter Tommy Tucker (Jessie Matthews) is in love with radio announcer Bill Coverdale (Gene Gerrard), but he is engaged to her more glamorous sister Angela (Kay Hammond), who he does not love. Seeking escape from this hopeless situation, and her life of genteel poverty, Tommy flees abroad to Biarritz to become a nightclub singer.
TV Guide and Britmovie both called the film "lightweight."[5] [6]