While I am a fan of British movies, particularly comedies of the 1950s and 1960s, I was not familiar with this movie. However I had warm expectations given the cast led by the usually dependable John Gregson and Muriel Pavlow. The movie concerns a British air force base that is activated as a training facility. Requiring a target range the government conscripts a nearby marsh, the Island of Children, for that purpose. The marsh is a wildlife habitat principally for birds (hence title Conflict of Wings between birds and aircraft). Obviously the local inhabitants, led by native daughter Muriel Pavlow and an assortment of colorful character actors (i.e. Niall MacGinnis, Frederick Piper), lead a fight to save the marsh. This leads to conflict with her boyfriend, airman John Gregson, as well as the base commander Kieron Moore. Combining comedy and drama is difficult and here it doesn't really succeed. There is almost a sub-genre of British comedies about colorful locals rising up (i.e. Passport To Pimlico, Titfield Thunderbolt). However, in all instances, the enemy are incompetent bureaucrats or buffoons. Here the air force is shown as capable, concerned but committed to their responsibilities. Periodically Kieron Moore is required to look out into mid-space and give a speech about the need for military preparedness, with appropriate references to just past crisises in Korea and Malaysia. The fact that decent people have to make difficult choices may be more representative of real life but it is less satisfying in reel life. Here the shifting between comic efforts and near tragic efforts by the the local population results in an uneven and ultimately unsatisfying cinema experience. Acting is generally good and technical credits, including color photography of the marsh, are also good.
8 Reviews
strictly for the birds
malcolmgsw30 November 2015
It looks as if the producers of this film were borrowing liberally from Ealing films.The two that come to mind being Passport to Pimlico and The Titfield Thunderbolt.However those two films chose the comic route and are classics,this chose the dramatic route and is forgotten.Lots of reliable character actors .Muriel Pavlow and Johnn Gregson doing the sort of roles that were their forte in the fifties.Kieran Moore jutting his jaw out as far as it will go.Some fine Eastman colour cinematography,although the constant shots of aircraft and flocks of birds is strictly for the enthusiast.Not a memorable film or an awful one either.
Bland drama with a touch of comedy & romance but no surprises
malcp12 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Perhaps akin to a somnambulistic cruise upon the Norfolk Broads, this film plods along and along and along. Kieron Moore looks occasionally agitated, Niall MacGinnis (Harry Tilney) raises his voice and John Gregson and Muriel Pavlow provide almost as much billing and cooing as the local wildlife. Glimpses of town life and the RAF base are perhaps highlights, but the plot and the dialogue is all so insipid that it's hard to maintain a great deal of interest in the developing "conflict". A rather over-strident score detracts further, particularly when it clashes with the soft, fluffy landscape of the wetlands which is generally captured (sadly) with all the grandeur and magnitude of those stock film-library shots of Africa they drop into Tarzan films. Perditor is apparently Latin for destroyer, which probably has some significance in the book, but the bird with that epithet seems the only real victim by the end of the film, for everyone else the message seems more like "ahh, but that's progress".
Lightweight but evocative of time and place and still relevant
sublimineyes8 June 2019
Not many films stick with me for years but this one did and now that I've just watched it again I think the same will happen for the next few years.
It is a lightweight, afternoon type of film with no stand out performances (John Gregson is standard Jon Gregson - not to my taste, Muriel Pavlow doesn't get a chance to act much and so on), no stand out dialogue, no wow plot. But what it does have is bags of sense of time and place and a unique (as far as I've seen) social documentary type quality look at the RAF in the mid 1950s and conflict with conservancy. I think the quality of light, the locations chosen and the soundtrack (not music but ambient) are what do it for me.
There is annoying animal sub plot sewn in, I would guess for kids' interest, that is weak.
If the acting, dialogue or plot had been distinctive this could have been an 8 or 9 for me.
It is a lightweight, afternoon type of film with no stand out performances (John Gregson is standard Jon Gregson - not to my taste, Muriel Pavlow doesn't get a chance to act much and so on), no stand out dialogue, no wow plot. But what it does have is bags of sense of time and place and a unique (as far as I've seen) social documentary type quality look at the RAF in the mid 1950s and conflict with conservancy. I think the quality of light, the locations chosen and the soundtrack (not music but ambient) are what do it for me.
There is annoying animal sub plot sewn in, I would guess for kids' interest, that is weak.
If the acting, dialogue or plot had been distinctive this could have been an 8 or 9 for me.
light hearted tale of village folk taking on the RAF
geoffm6029516 February 2021
'The island of Children' is a bird sanctuary, which the local villagers are determined to preserve, despite the plans of the RAF to take it over as a regular firing range. It's all very civilised, with the usual rural stereotypes getting worked up to mount a campaign to stop the 'the boys in blue.' The film is not exactly a comedy, nor does is take a serious look at the issues of conservation. Indeed, it's more of a light hearted film, a sort of David and Goliath tale, where honest rural folk get to come together to mount what looks like an unequal and impossible task of keeping island as a sanctuary for our feathered friends. However, the film has a charm of its own, revealing a 1950's Norfolk village where life was conducted in the slow lane and where the focus of social meetings always took place in the village pub.
John Gregson does his best as the agreeable corporal, who can see both sides of the argument, while his love interest, Muriel Pavlov, does a competent job as the sensitive, sweet lass, who acts as the 'environmental voice' of the village as she waxes lyrical about about the implications of losing the bird sanctuary. Although the film features, Guy Middleton, who normally plays the suave and smooth moustached hero, is surprisingly down the pecking order, playing the adjutant, who gets little to say very little, while Kieron Moore is never really convincing as the squadron leader. However, as compensation, there is the delightful Harry Fowler, playing the usual 'salt of the earth' cheery type, and as such, adds a much needed bright and breezy presence to a film which at times becomes a bit tedious.
It's a film which harks back to a quieter decade without fast cars and mobile phones. As a bonus there are some great shots of Norfolk Broads and the surrounding villages. A gentle film for a quite afternoon with your feet up.
Generally Pleasant but without Much Bite
JamesHitchcock28 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Conflict of Wings" was released in America as "Fuss over Feathers", but I will refer to it here by its original British title. It was not made by Ealing Studios, but it shares a theme with several of the classic Ealing comedies, notably "Whisky Galore", "Passport to Pimlico" and "The Titfield Thunderbolt", that of a small, tightly knit community taking on the forces of officialdom and authority. The community in this case is a small village on the Norfolk Broads whose inhabitants are horrified when they discover that the RAF want to use the nearby Island of Children as a firing range. The Island, which has never been farmed, is a patch of wild ground which is regarded as an unofficial bird reserve.
It is a general rule that whenever a British comedy deals with the subject of a small, tightly knit community taking on the forces of officialdom our sympathies will always lie with the local people; this is certainly the case in the three Ealing films mentioned above. "Conflict of Wings", however, is something of an exception because our sympathies are more divided. In 1954, less than a decade after the end of the war, it would have been difficult to portray the RAF as villains at a time when the British film industry was still making dramas like "The Dambusters" celebrating their role in the victory over Nazism. The RAF men we see in this film may fly modern jets like Vampires and Meteors rather than Spitfires and Lancasters, but they are still the decent, salt-of-the-earth types portrayed in wartime films. Britain may be at peace, but fighting is still taking place in other parts of the world, and we learn that the squadron shown here will soon be posted to Malaya.
The fight to save the Island is led by Joe Bates, the local landlord, and Harry Tilney, a hard-drinking ex-sailor. Some of the villagers, however, have divided loyalties, especially two local girls, Sally and Fanny, who both have boyfriends at the RAF base. Both, however, also have reasons to support the protest; Fanny is Joe's daughter and Sally is a bird lover whose pet seagull Perdita plays an important role in the plot. (Contrary to what one reviewer writes, I think that the name was supposed to be "Perdita", Latin for "lost", rather than "Perditor", "destroyer"). As in "Passport to Pimlico" a lot of the plot discovers on the discovery of an ancient document, in this case a grant of the Island by Henry VIII to a local abbey for assistance in putting down Kett's Rebellion.
Although the film is supposedly a comedy, the ending left me with a distinctly uneasy feeling. Realising that the supposed grant by Henry VIII cuts little ice with the authorities, the villagers decide that the only way to stop the development from going ahead is to stage a mass trespass on the Island on the very day that bombing is scheduled to begin. Low cloud and the breaking of a field telephone line mean that their presence goes undetected until the pilot of the leading aircraft spots them at the last moment, thus averting a massacre. At this moment my sympathies were wholeheartedly with the airmen. For all my own love of birds and nature, I could not sympathise with a bunch of protesters whose irresponsible actions brought them so close to disaster.
The photography of the Norfolk countryside is attractive and the acting is adequate, even if there are no outstanding performances. It is, however, ever to see why "Conflict of Wings" is little remembered today and has not achieved the fame of the great Ealing comedies. Halliwell's Film & Video Guide described it as "generally pleasant but without much bite", and I wouldn't dissent from that opinion. 6/10
A goof. The island could not have been given to the abbey by Henry VIII as a reward for helping to suppress Kett's rebellion. That rebellion took place in 1549, two years after Henry's death and during the reign of his son Edward VI. By this time all abbeys in England had been suppressed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
It is a general rule that whenever a British comedy deals with the subject of a small, tightly knit community taking on the forces of officialdom our sympathies will always lie with the local people; this is certainly the case in the three Ealing films mentioned above. "Conflict of Wings", however, is something of an exception because our sympathies are more divided. In 1954, less than a decade after the end of the war, it would have been difficult to portray the RAF as villains at a time when the British film industry was still making dramas like "The Dambusters" celebrating their role in the victory over Nazism. The RAF men we see in this film may fly modern jets like Vampires and Meteors rather than Spitfires and Lancasters, but they are still the decent, salt-of-the-earth types portrayed in wartime films. Britain may be at peace, but fighting is still taking place in other parts of the world, and we learn that the squadron shown here will soon be posted to Malaya.
The fight to save the Island is led by Joe Bates, the local landlord, and Harry Tilney, a hard-drinking ex-sailor. Some of the villagers, however, have divided loyalties, especially two local girls, Sally and Fanny, who both have boyfriends at the RAF base. Both, however, also have reasons to support the protest; Fanny is Joe's daughter and Sally is a bird lover whose pet seagull Perdita plays an important role in the plot. (Contrary to what one reviewer writes, I think that the name was supposed to be "Perdita", Latin for "lost", rather than "Perditor", "destroyer"). As in "Passport to Pimlico" a lot of the plot discovers on the discovery of an ancient document, in this case a grant of the Island by Henry VIII to a local abbey for assistance in putting down Kett's Rebellion.
Although the film is supposedly a comedy, the ending left me with a distinctly uneasy feeling. Realising that the supposed grant by Henry VIII cuts little ice with the authorities, the villagers decide that the only way to stop the development from going ahead is to stage a mass trespass on the Island on the very day that bombing is scheduled to begin. Low cloud and the breaking of a field telephone line mean that their presence goes undetected until the pilot of the leading aircraft spots them at the last moment, thus averting a massacre. At this moment my sympathies were wholeheartedly with the airmen. For all my own love of birds and nature, I could not sympathise with a bunch of protesters whose irresponsible actions brought them so close to disaster.
The photography of the Norfolk countryside is attractive and the acting is adequate, even if there are no outstanding performances. It is, however, ever to see why "Conflict of Wings" is little remembered today and has not achieved the fame of the great Ealing comedies. Halliwell's Film & Video Guide described it as "generally pleasant but without much bite", and I wouldn't dissent from that opinion. 6/10
A goof. The island could not have been given to the abbey by Henry VIII as a reward for helping to suppress Kett's rebellion. That rebellion took place in 1549, two years after Henry's death and during the reign of his son Edward VI. By this time all abbeys in England had been suppressed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
One of my favourites
williamjowett11 February 2007
This is one of my favourites because it contains a glimpse of the Royal Air Force at the time I had my first flight as a schoolboy in a Meteor Mark VII (which was the RAF's first jet trainer) and which appears in the film.
The film also displays the Norfolk Broads where I grew up and, apart from some rather dodgy Norfolk accents, show something of its splendid scenery.
It is also a good story, well told and, apart from 'Perdita' - a seagull, with British actors and actresses who are well-chosen and know how to assume the characters they portray.
It is a great pity that no copy is yet available on DVD.
The film also displays the Norfolk Broads where I grew up and, apart from some rather dodgy Norfolk accents, show something of its splendid scenery.
It is also a good story, well told and, apart from 'Perdita' - a seagull, with British actors and actresses who are well-chosen and know how to assume the characters they portray.
It is a great pity that no copy is yet available on DVD.
Norfolk 'n' good...................
ianlouisiana9 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Splendidly English premise with villagers taking on the might of the Royal Air Force over nesting birds.Still living on the goodwill engendered by its heroics in the recent war,the R.A.F.by 1954 had become involved in less immediate conflicts in Asia that only the unfortunate National Servicemen felt any impact from. Back home with Rationing being gradually phased out most people wanted to get on with life as best they could,respecting the Armed Forces,certainly,but with an increasing sense of England's waning influence on world affairs. Against this background "Conflict of wings" portrays the people of the beautiful county of Norfolk as Animal Rights activists before their time. The fundamentally decent Air Force personnel are cast as the not very bad bad guys using an area frequented by nesting birds as a firing range. The film makes its point quite gently,with excellent performances in the British tradition and a wonderful support cast including ex - RAF pilot Humphrey Lestocq,at the time a huge star on BBC children's' TV "Whirligig" as stooge to a puppet called Mr Turnip."H.L.",as he was known,had a brief career as a sub - Kenneth More type before Mr More himself took over the roles "H.L."might have taken.Rather sad,really. If you read "R.A.F.Flying Review",or "Flight" of "The Aeroplane" in 1954 you will love the shots of the Vampires and Meteors.If you love that quintessentially English county of Norfolk the scenery of its beautiful northern coast will enchant you. Fifty five years on,"Conflict of wings" is rural England and its inhabitants preserved in amber.Perhaps some cosmic scientist can come up with a "Jurassic Park" reconstruction from its DNA.A lot of people would pay a lot of money to visit it.
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