Ha'penny Breeze

This pioneering, Ealing-esque production was conceived by actors Darcy Conyers and Don Sharp, who were keen for British film-makers to emulate the Italian neo-realists by telling stories about ordinary people in authentic locations. The Suffolk hamlet of Pin Mill provides the setting and some of the supporting cast, as returning PoW Edwin Richfield and his Aussie buddy Sharp strive to revive the fortunes of the harbour on the River Orwell. There's a degree of contrivance in the scenario, not least when the friends line up in a prestigious yacht race against Conyers's convivial champion, and the romance between Sharp and Richfield's sister is a tad twee. But Natalie Raine is splendid as the grouchy sailmaker's wife, while director Frank Worth reins in the cornball yokelisms and makes evocative use of the charming locale.