Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat are better known for their comedies, but here they have produced one of the finest home-front dramas of the Second World War. Adopting the docudramatic approach that characterise many British flag-wavers, the co-directors present a nation pulling together in spite of class differences. The sequences in the factory and at the workers' dormitory are particularly fascinating for the way in which they depict the emergence of both a new kind of woman and a new social order. Patricia Roc and Eric Portman stand out in an excellent ensemble cast.

When Celia Crowson is called up for war service, she hopes for a glamorous job in one of the services, but as a single girl, she is directed into a factory making aircraft parts. Here she meets other girls from all different walks of life and begins a relationship with a young airman.