​FILMS

when the queen came to town

When the Queen Came to Town: (Documentary): 66 out of 100: This feature length documentary showcases the royal tour of Commonwealth nations in 1954. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh embark on their maiden voyage of countries such as New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. Most of the footage is centred on their stay in Australia, with historical scenes filmed by both professional and amateur operators.

The highlight of this documentary is definitely seeing the scenes of a very young Queen. The archival footage on the whole is very interesting. It's great to meet the participants of the tour which range from children who presented flowers to Queen Elizabeth and those who actually were part of the crowd gatherings.

Having Lorraine Bayly present this as a fairytale to young girls doesn't really work. The idea is clever but the execution just isn't right as the young girls actually seem bored while listening to the story and the lines they have aren't really delivered naturally. Their acting seems forced. Bert Newtown's narration has some humorous lines but doesn't really stand out.

This is a light, breezy documentary that won't really stay in your memory for too long. For those who were part of the celebrations, you will have a ball reminiscing about what you were doing. However, if you want a documentary of excellence, you won't be getting it here. It does however serve its purpose well by being entertaining for most of its short running time.

Starring Lorraine Bayly and narrated by Bert Newtown
(78 minutes)
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, the little girls who were listening to the story curtsy during the credits and after the credits, sailors form Queen Elizabeth's name on the ship using their bodies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1huRnpKv3w (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Tuesday 25th November, 2014)