Painted Boats
1945 | 63m | English
Popularity: 0.4 (history)
| Director: | Charles Crichton |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Stephen Black, Louis MacNeice, Michael McCarthy |
| Staring: |
| In this modest drama, set during World War II, two rival boat families battle it out for supremacy. | |
| Release Date: | Sep 01, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Charles Crichton |
| Writer: | Stephen Black, Louis MacNeice, Michael McCarthy |
| Genres: | Drama |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | Ealing Studios |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 31, 2026 Entered: Apr 26, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Jenny Laird | Mary Smith |
| Bill Blewitt | Pa Smith |
| May Hallatt | Ma Smith |
| Robert Griffiths | Ted Stoner |
| Madoline Thomas | Mrs. Stoner |
| Grace Arnold | Sister |
| Harry Fowler | Alf Stoner |
| Megs Jenkins | Barmaid |
| John Owers | Bill |
| James McKechnie | Commentator |
| Arthur Denton | Canal Official (uncredited) |
| Jack Watson | Lockkeeper (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Charles Crichton | Director |
| Stephen Black | Writer |
| Louis MacNeice | Writer |
| Michael McCarthy | Writer |
| Roy Gough | Still Photographer |
| Jim Morahan | Art Direction |
| Ernest Irving | Music Director |
| Eric Williams | Sound Supervisor |
| Hal Mason | Production Supervisor |
| H. Julius | Camera Operator |
| Billy Russell | Unit Manager |
| John Greenwood | Music |
| Leslie Allen | Editor |
| Douglas Slocombe | Director of Photography |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Michael Balcon | Producer |
| Henry Cornelius | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
This is actually quite a gently enjoyable piece of cinematic nostalgia. It depicts the life of "Mary" (Jenny Laird) and "Ted" (Robert Griffiths) whose families live onboard canal boats. Once the lifeblood of industrial Britain, these are now largely obsolete as functioning waterways but these two ar ... e trying to sustain their livelihood in the face of roads, trains and the unstoppable march of progress - in a lightly competitive fashion. The story itself is all just a bit insubstantial, tepid - even, but what helps this stick in the mind are the colourful images of life in 1940s Britain - a life that wasn't destined to thrive for too much longer. It's colourful and vibrant with some informed commentaries from James McKechnie that give it an almost "Public Information Film" feel to it. It's only an hour, and is certainly worth a watch for a glimpse of an - admittedly rose-tinted - way of life long gone, now.