Very sweet British war movie that was made by completely the right people. You've got the unobtrusive professionalism of Ralph Thomas and Betty Box, and their love for location filming; deft scripting of Nicholas Phipps based on the writing of Jerard Ticknell; the understated heroism of David Niven, playing a role just like what I like to imagine the real Niven was like - polite, professional, cheery; cutie pie Glynis Johns as the local girl who helps steal the cow.
Location filming on the island of Sark helps immensely as does the fact the story is played straight. It's lovely how the Brits identify the issue, talk about Venus, send in their team to retrieve her. There's some decent complications - the Germans are going to shift her away, they rely on an artist objector to help disguise the cow, there is a little kid who helps. German commandant George Colouris is sympathetically depicted.
Niven made this film during his Hollywood slump in the late 40s and early 50s (before The Moon is Blue and then Around the World in 80 Days restored him to favour); he was lucky he had Britain to duck back to but actually he made some of his most interesting films around this time (eg The Elusive Pimpernel) - he served the industry as well as it served him.
Kenneth More impresses as a painter who has dropped out of the war. Johns and Niven have a touching understated romance. No one dies or anything; maybe they should have to increase the stakes. But this has a good heart.
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