While the Sun Shines is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Barbara White, Ronald Howard, Ronald Squire, Brenda Bruce, Bonar Colleano, and Michael Allan. It was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on Rattigan's 1943 play of the same name.
Contents
Plot
Lady Elisabeth Randall is an English Air Force corporal during World War II. She is on her way to marry her fiancé when she finds herself being romanced by two different men. The first man is Colbert, a Frenchman residing in England. The second man is Joe Mulvaney, an American lieutenant. Difficulties ensue as Lady Elisabeth finds that due to these romances both her military career and her impending marriage are in danger.
Reception
Box office
As of 1 April 1950 the film earned distributor's gross receipts of £98,984 in the UK of which £62,807 went to the producer. The film made a loss of £48,033.
Critical
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "With expensive mounting and some inventive touches of direction this is a gay, bubbling piece. As cinema, however, it lacks smoothness, possibly because Rattigan, collaborating on the screen version, cannot detach himself from his stage affiliations. Each sequence seems to have a beginning and an end as definite as the raising and lowering of the curtain."
Kine Weekly wrote: "Friendly, immaculately mannered triangle comedy, freely adapted from Terence Rattigan's huge London stage success. ... Whatever the narrative lacks in sustained wit and piquancy it amply gains in its unblushing appeal to the womenfolk and gallery."
TV Guide wrote that "The direction never convinces the viewer that this story was meant to be told anywhere but on the stage".
In his book Anthony Asquith, Tom Ryall noted that the film "reflected the tone though not the success of its stage predecessor."