Waterloo Road (film)
Waterloo Road is a 1945 British film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring John Mills, Stewart Granger, and Alastair Sim. It is based on the Waterloo area of South London. According to the British Film Institute database, it is the third in an "unofficial trilogy" by Gilliat, preceded by "Millions Like Us" (1943) and "Two Thousand Women" (1944). Premise. A soldier, Jim Colter (Mills), goes AWOL to return to his home in south London to save his wife from the advances of Ted Purvis (Granger), a philandering conscription-dodger. Production. The film was originally known as "Blue  for Waterloo". Stewart Granger later said the film was one of his favourites as his role "was a heel, but a real character". He says the film was made in ten days while he was also making "Love Story". He was particularly proud of the fight scene with John Mills. Sidney Gilliat says he was taken off the film before it was finished. Production was stopped and there were still some exteriors to be shot. Ted Black had gone and the Ostrers put the film at the end of the dubbing schedule. However, Earl St John who was in charge  of Odeon cinemas liked the film and got the dubbing done. Gilliat says the idea of using Alastair Sim's character as a commentator was his, though based on the original Val Valentine story. However, he thought the device "proved a bit of a mess". Reception. According to "Kinematograph Weekly" the "biggest winners" at the box office in 1945 Britain were "The Seventh Veil", with "runners up" being (in release order), "Madonna of the Seven Moons", "Old Acquaintance", "Frenchman's Creek", "Mrs Parkington", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "Meet Me in St Louis", "A Song to Remember", "Since You Went Away , Here Come the Waves", "Tonight and Every Night", "Hollywood Canteen", "They Were Sisters", "The Princess and the Pirate", "The Adventures of Susan", "National Velvet", "Mr. Skeffington", "I Live in Grosvenor Square", "Nob Hill", "Perfect Strangers", "Valley of Decision", "Conflict" and "Duffy's Tavern". British "runners up" were "They Were Sisters", "I Live in Grosvenor Square", "Perfect Strangers", "Madonna of the Seven Moons", "Waterloo Road", "Blithe Spirit", "The Way to the Stars", "I'll Be Your Sweetheart", "Dead of Night", "Waltz Time" and "Henry V".