Evensong

An Evelyn Laye starring vehicle in which Miss Laye plays an Irish opera singer pursued by the likes of handsome Archduke Carl Esmond after having eloped with young composer Emlyn Williams who eventually expires while listening to one of her own recordings. Some may find this Beverly Nichols-derived saga poignant; others will think it unbearably silly and slow. However, Fritz Kortner makes a powerful contribution as the impresario Kober, and if you peer hard enough you'll spot Alec Guinness in a small role. What's more, it's impossible not to enjoy (for whatever reason) a film that contains dialogue like "My cousin has been assassinated at Sarajevo - God only knows what this is going to lead to!" The whole thing is smugly directed by Victor Saville for Gaumont British, under the producer Michael Balcon.