Godfrey Tearle

Jeanne De Casalis

John Laurie

Thorley Walters

Morland Graham

Mabel Constanduros

Patric Curwen

Alec Faversham

Michael Lambart

Irene Handl

Rosalyn Boulter

Maureen Glynne

Gerald Moore

Brian Weske

Petula Clark

David Trickett

Pat Geary

Gordon Begg

Noel Dainton

Charles Doe

Jonathan Field

Harry Herbert

Vincent Holman

James Knight

Edward Lexy

H.F. Maltby

Janet Morrison

Anthony Pendrell

Maurice Elvey

James Wilson

Grace Garland

Len Shilton

James Ronald

Elizabeth Baron

Harry Hayward

Arthur Grant

William Alwyn

C. Wilfred Arnold

Maude Churchill

Wallace Orton

Harold V. King

Robert Asher

Charles Williams

Drama

Medal for the General

British National Films

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

Godfrey Tearle is really quite good in this rather poignant story of "Gen. Church". An highly decorated WWI veteran, he tries to enlist for duty as WWII looms, but finds himself unwanted. He struggles to deal with this rejection; lets himself go - even contemplates suicide, before his friendly butler "Bates" (Morland Graham) and "Lady Frome" (Jeanne De Casilis) concoct a plan to saddle him with six displaced children to look after. Initially hostile, he gradually finds that they challenge and engage him, and he them - and the story develops gently and amiably as they all try to find an accommodation. I kept expecting Sir C. Aubrey Smith to pop up somewhere, but Searle holds this together well and the story does illustrate a little of how older people can feel when marginalised and left out, purely on the basis of their age. A competent supporting cast of British stalwarts and some spirited efforts from the children, as well as an pleasingly amusing script, make for an entertaining little feature that I quite enjoyed.