Main Cast: Wendy Hiller, Rex Harrison, Robert Morley, Robert Newton, Emlyn Williams
Release Year: 1941
Country: UK
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
George Bernard Shaw's satiric comedy about wealth and poverty is brought to the screen with wonderful performances by Rex Harrison and Wendy Hiller. Hiller plays Major Barbara Undershaft, a major in the Salvation Army who is also a socialist and stridently attacks capitalists -- in particular her father Andrew (Robert Morley), the head of a munitions plant. In love with Barbara is the young Greek scholar Adolphus Cusins (Rex Harrison), whose attentions go unreturned since Barbara spends all her time on her crusade against wealth. To show up his daughter, Andrew donates 50,000 pounds to the Salvation Army which, to Barbara's horror, the Army's general (Sybil Thorndike) happily accepts. Barbara, in protest, quits her post and it is left to Adolphus to take her on a tour of her father's munitions plant and prove to her the benefits of capitalism. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
One of the giants of the British theater, George Bernard Shaw was also fairly active in films, writing the screen adaptations for four of his best known plays himself. Major Barbara reunited Shaw with Wendy Hiller, star of the earlier Pygmalion, to marvelous effect. Rarely has the legendary Shavian wit been in finer form; the screenplay is filled with epigrams, clever turns of phrases and a healthy sense of the ridiculous, which helps to disguise the seriousness of the film's core issue (e.g., the role of wealth and spirituality in man's life). Although it takes a few minutes for the film to get started and the pacing lags slightly in spots, overall this is a sprightly and engaging film that amply rewards viewers that meet its challenges. Gabriel Pascal (with assistance) has directed unobtrusively, giving his expert cast plenty of room to work out their characters. Wendy Hiller is a luminous Barbara, infectiously high-spirited, sincerely concerned, forward-thinking, and occasionally a tad self-righteous. She makes it clear that this Barbara's commitment is much more than skin deep. Robert Morley is a delight as her father, navigating some of the trickier patches of the writing with skill, and Rex Harrison is nearly flawless, exuding a charm that keeps the viewer guessing as to his true intentions. Harrison would later achieve his greatest acclaim with another Shaw-related venture, a musical version of Pygmalion called My Fair Lady. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
In this social satire, Barbara Undershaft (Hiller), an idealistic major in the Salvation Army, is deeply troubled by the fact that her father, Andrew Undershaft (Robert Morley), is a wealthy weapons manufacturer. Meanwhile, Andrew is looking for an heir for his industrial empire, in particular a foundling like himself.
Major Barbara was filmed in London during the The Blitz bombing of 1941. During air raids, the crew and cast had to repeatedly dodge into bomb shelters. The film's producer-director, Pascal, never stopped the production and the film was completed on schedule.
References
Notes
^ Valerie Pascal. The Disciple and His Devil. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970.
Bibliography
The Great British Films, pp 59-62, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 080650661X
