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Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War movie poster
Directed by	Richard Attenborough
Produced by	Richard Attenborough Brian Duffy
Written by	Len Deighton
Starring	John Mills John Gielgud Laurence Olivier Michael Redgrave Maggie Smith Susannah York
Cinematography	Gerry Turpin
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	10 March 1969 (UK release)
Running time	144 min
IMDb profile

Oh! What a Lovely War is a stage musical and 1969 musical film. The title is derived from the music hall song Oh! It's a Lovely War, which is one of the major numbers in the productions.

Contents 1 Radio musical documentary 2 Stage musical 3 Film 4 The song 5 External links and References 6 References in popular culture

Charles Chilton^[1], producer of the film, created a radio musical of World War I songs called The Long Long Trail (1962), named for the popular music hall song, There's a long, long trail a winding^[2]. The piece was a radio documentary that used facts and statistics, juxtaposed with songs of the time, as an ironic critique of the reality of the war^[3].

Joan Littlewood created a stage adaptation at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, in 1963 as a production by her Theatre Workshop. The play was based on The Donkeys by historian Alan Clark, with some scenes adapted from The Good Soldier Švejk by Czech humorist Jaroslav Hašek. The play was an ensemble production with no "stars" as such, but featured members of the company, such as Brian Murphy, Victor Spinetti and Glynn Edwards playing multiple roles. The play opened at the Theatre Royal on 19 March 1963, the production transferred intact to Wyndham's Theatre in June, the same year^[3]. This satire on World War I (and by extension against war in general), was a surprise hit, and the stage musical was adapted by the BBC for radio more than once

The stage show is traditionally performed in pierrot costumes, and features such World War I-era songs as It's a Long Way to Tipperary, Pack up Your Troubles and Keep the Home Fires Burning. Harsh images of war and shocking statistics are usually projected onto the backdrop, however, providing a stark contrast with the comedy of the action taking place before it.

In 1969 Richard Attenborough transformed it into a film. His star-studded cast included Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Olivier, Jack Hawkins, Corin Redgrave, Michael Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Maggie Smith, Ian Holm, Malcolm McFee, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Nanette Newman, Edward Fox, Susannah York, John Clements, Phyllis Calvert and Maurice Roëves. This film has been released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The 1969 film transferred the mise-en-scene completely into the cinematic domain, with elaborate sequences shot at West Pier, Brighton, elsewhere in Brighton and on the South Downs, interspersed with motifs from the stage production. These included the 'cricket' scoreboards showing the number of dead, but Attenborough did not use the pierrot costumes. However, as many critics noted, including Pauline Kael^[4] the treatment diminished the effect of the numbers of deaths, which appear only fleetingly. Nonetheless Attenborough's final sequence, ending in a crane shot of hundreds of war graves, each individually hammered into the South Downs chalk for the shot, is regarded as one of the most memorable of the film.

The song was originally part of the repertoire of music hall star and male impersonator Ella Shields. These are the lyrics:

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,

Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?

Oh, it's a shame to take the pay;

As soon as reveille is gone,

We feel just as heavy as lead,

But we never get up till the sergeant

Brings us breakfast up to bed.

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,

What do we want with eggs and ham,

When we've got plum and apple jam?

Form fours, right turn,

How shall we spend the money we earn?

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war.

Up to your waist in water,

Up to your eyes in slush,

Using the kind of language,

That makes the sergeant blush.

Who wouldn't join the army?

That's what we all inquire;

Don't we pity the poor civilian,

Sitting beside the fire.

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,

Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?

Oh, it's a shame to take the pay;

As soon as reveille is gone,

We feel just as heavy as lead,

But we never get up till the sergeant

Brings us breakfast up to bed.

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,

What do we want with eggs and ham,

When we've got plum and apple jam?

Form fours, right turn,

How shall we spend the money we earn?

Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war.

Two pre-musical renditions, one from 1918, can be found at http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/ohitsalovelywar.htm

• Oh! What a Lovely War at the Internet Movie Database

• BBC Radio 4's 15 Minute Musical portrayed Tony Blair's premiership in the style of Oh! What a Lovely War in a September 2006 episode entitled "Oh! What a Lovely Blair"

v • d • e Films directed by Richard Attenborough
Oh! What a Lovely War • Young Winston • A Bridge Too Far • Magic • Gandhi • A Chorus Line • Cry Freedom • Chaplin • Shadowlands • In Love and War • Grey Owl • Closing the Ring

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