Journey's End

Gods and Monsters (1998), the excellent biopic of British-born Hollywood director James Whale, cast new light on Whale's first feature, an adaptation of R C Sherriff's First World War play. Whale, who served in the trenches, shot the picture in Hollywood because British studios were not yet fully equipped for sound. The film is a valuable record of the stage production, with the same splendidly stiff-upper-lip yet touching performances from the all-male cast and "simply topping" dialogue. Colin Clive, who would play the title role in Whale's Frankenstein the following year, is especially good as Captain Stanhope breaking under the strain of war.