BRITISH NAVAL FILM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20112, 24 November 1928, Page 9 (Supplement)

BRITISH NAVAL FILM.

LORD JELLICOE'S APPEARANCE. Lord Jellicoo, wearing a mild edition of his quarter-deck manner, mado an excellent debut as a film-actor in •' Q-Ships," the latest, greatest, and, possibly, the last of the war epics produced under official iiuspice3 in England, acCording to a. London critic. lie appeared in the historic role of Admiral Jellicoo discussing the U-boat menace with Admiral Sims, as a result of which American destroyers and other fast small • craft came over to help in the 'fight against German submarines', which in April, 1927, sank nearly a million tons of shipping belonging to every maritime nation.

' This is but ono of scores of welldocumented <trid superbly illustrated episodes ii» tho most wonderful sea epic yet produced in this or any other country, the critic says. "It would be marvellous if it were merely fiction, but when it is realised that these terrific ocean adventures not only actually happened, but, in oases survive in photographic records, the result is something that calls for a iifcw Homer to describe. " The essential drama, or the aspect of it that most appeals to the eye and imagination, is that of the small tramp Rt earners and wooden coasters, which, laden with false cargoes and hidden guns, went out like ' vamps of the sea to lure .TJ-boats to their doom. " This New Era film comes nearer to nn exact reconstruction of actual war episodes than any other that I have Roen, and, although it is common knowledge that tlio public is tired of war films, it, must, be said that the spaciousness and grandeur, variety of sccno, movement and action, and amazing sur prise of this extraordinary drama of the Fen place it apart altogether from previous films of war operations.

" Mr. Cionffiey Parkas, in association Willi Mr, Michael Barringcr, produced * Q Ships. ' and Mr. Sydney Blytho is responsible for the beautiful camera work If ! li.id tlio task of choosing war films fnr posterity to see I should give a high place to ' Q-Ships. ' "