recommended

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is an unusual movie set among London's street performers. It sets the stage well, as the crowds bustle and the earnest but unexceptional performers try earn a few coins.The main characters are portrayed by the brilliant actors Charles Laughton and Vivien Leigh, both as good as they've ever been. What I like about their characters, and their performances, is that they aren't the typical iconic characters you see in so many films of that period. Leigh is young, gorgeous, self-involved, and mercurial, but she also shows moments of caring and thoughtfulness. She is like young women I have known; the sort I would have crushed on in my twenties and would keep at arms length today, when I know better.Laughton is generally a decent guy, yet he is also foolish, moody, and prone to bitterness. Drunkenly ranting on the stairs of his boarding house, he is both pitiable and frightening. Neither character is entirely good nor bad, but it's the sort of movie where, depending on where you are in your life, you could see either as either. (Looking through the reviews on this site, Leigh's character is either a sadistic monster or an utter delight.)Unfortunately, after creating a lovely world and two fascinating characters, the writers didn't seem to know quite where to take the story, which ends abruptly with a pat and unconvincing final scene. It wasn't so bad that it ruined the movie for me, but it does feel like the writers just shrugged at each other and said, we've written enough, let's just wrap this up. With a better ending, this could have been a true classic.The supporting cast is also quite good, with Rex Harrison charming (although it's such a small part that I'm surprised to see some reviewers here raving as much about him as about Leigh and Laughton) and many fine character actors filling inhabiting their roles. In spite of its imperfections, this is an unjustly obscure gem. If you have the chance to see it, do so.

Here are seven reasons why "Sidewalks of London" (1938) is an excellent film: (1) great acting by the legendary film stars Vivien Leigh, Charles Laughton and Rex Harrison (2) good story contrasting the street buskers with theatre stars (3) location filming of London's theatre district (4) interesting portrayal of buskers (5) beautiful black and white cinematography (6) historical importance (7) excellent music score. The story involves themes of love, social class and ambition. Vivien Leigh is charming as a busker. The movie was filmed on location at St. Martin's Lane, Shaftesbury Avenue, Cambridge Circus and Piccadilly Circus. ('Circus' refers to a round space at a street intersection.)"Sidewalks of London" (aka "St. Martin's Lane") shows the interesting subculture of the buskers, who are singers, musicians and dancers that perform on the streets. The actual busker group "The Luna Boys" are in some scenes. The film begins with a night scene of the theatre district. Neon signs glitter in the darkness. A pretty female busker sings "London Love Song" on the street. Charles Staggers (Charles Laughton) is a poetry-reciting busker who sees Liberty (Vivien Leigh) stealing a gold cigarette case. Liberty was raised in an orphanage, and now survives as a pickpocket. Charles follows Liberty to a vacant house. In a beautiful scene, Liberty dances in the moonlight shining on the floor, to the music "Vivien's Waltz." Charles sees Liberty dancing and recognizes her talent.Charles lives in a garret under the roof of a rundown Victorian apartment, and Liberty moves into one of the rooms. There are some nice scenes of the everyday life of the buskers. A cute black-and-white stray cat appears at the window of Charles' garret, which Charles takes in. Charles mends his clothes on his sewing machine. Liberty, who is 19 years old, bakes Charles a birthday cake, and gives him a party for his 40th birthday.Charles, Liberty and some busker friends create a performance troupe. They sing, dance and play the harmonica in front of the Holborn Empire Theatre. Liberty is charming, dancing in her vaudeville costume of top hat, vest, and striped trousers.Harley Prentiss (Rex Harrison), a successful song writer, sees Liberty dancing and notices her ambition. He becomes her career mentor and her lover.Liberty's career flourishes, and she gets the lead in an extravagant 1930s musical, titled "Straw Hat in the Rain." There are many backstage scenes of rehearsals. Liberty becomes a famous musical star, surrounded by fans requesting autographs.One theme in the film is love. Charles is in love with Liberty, but his feelings are unrequited. Liberty has sentimental feelings of friendship toward Charles. In a poignant scene, Liberty arranges a theatre audition for Charles, but he realizes that he belongs with the lively,free-spirited buskers.Another theme is social class. The wealthy theatre stars and patrons contrast with the street buskers. Charles' small garret contrasts with Harley Prentiss' posh Art Deco penthouse. His Art Deco apartment has mirrored walls, white furniture, glass block windows, and a magnificent view of the city. Liberty and Charles now live in different worlds. Liberty lives in the glittering inside world of the theatre, and Charles lives in the outside world of the street buskers. The ending is bittersweet.The performances of Leigh, Laughton and Harrison are superb. Liberty is ambitious and temperamental, yet also charming and sentimental. Charles is a boyish, boisterous man with a lot of heart. Harrison is excellent as the suave and sophisticated theatre insider.The black and white cinematography is excellent. A sweeping camera shot shows the impressive London cityscape with St. Paul's Cathedral, immediately followed by a camera shot of the crooked chimney pipes on Charles' roof.The night scenes are beautifully filmed, with high contrast between light and dark. Liberty's luminous face contrasts with the dark night background. The theatre lights glitter in the evening.Vivien Leigh is always beautiful in her 1930s fashions. As a pickpocket, she wears a black beret, a man's tie, and a narrow skirt. After she becomes a star, she wears a beautiful white gown with a black hat and long black gloves.This is a historically important film, because it shows the theatre district in 1938, before it was severely damaged in 1940-41, during World War II. The Holborn Empire Theatre, shown in the film, was destroyed in the Blitz. (See my posting on the message board for more on this topic.)"Sidewalks of London" (1938) deserves a DVD with high quality digital remastering, and extras about London's theatre district, the buskers, and the great actors in the film. Highly recommended.

Just delightedly discovered this movie, under the title St. Martin's Lane, on Turner Classics (its first showing there). My most vivid impressions: Laughton's bitter tirade in the halls and stairway of the house, in his moment of disappointment...How the superficially charming, but hard-edged character created by Vivien Leigh was a magnificent preview of her role the following year, in Gone With the Wind...The brief but hard-hitting scene in which Tyrone Guthrie tells Liberty (Vivien's character) what he thinks of her...Laughton's on-stage recitation of Kipling's "If"...It is certainly a gem for all who, like me, adore the work of Charles Laughton. I also expect that any great fan of Vivien Leigh will deeply appreciate her performance here. And as a bonus, there are some bits of witty music-making by a true virtuoso of the harmonica.

Vivien Leigh is the major draw to this somewhat primitive 1930's era film. It is hard to believe that Gone With the Wind was made only the next year. As always, Miss Leigh adds a certain vitality to any work that she did. The plot was simple an easy to understand, and the movie runs less than 90 minutes. More could have been done to develop the characters or resolve issues at the end of the film. What was Liberty's background that made her homeless? Why did she want to help the others after she "made it big?" The street performers are probably hard for Americans to understand, especially that long ago.It is easy to see from her work here why Vivien Leigh got other major roles as she grew exponentially in her abilities during the 1930's. The facial expressions and spirit are clearly there, but there were many limitations to this vehicle for her great talent.Worth a look for Leigh fans or those seeking period pieces. Oh how life has changed in 60 plus years.