Waterloo Road (film)

Waterloo Road is a 1945 British film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring John Mills, Stewart Granger, and Alastair Sim. It is based on the Waterloo area of South London. According to the British Film Institute database, it is the third in an "unofficial trilogy" by Gilliat, preceded by Millions Like Us (1943) and Two Thousand Women (1944).

Premise
A soldier, Jim Colter (Mills), goes AWOL to return to his home in south London to save his wife from the advances of Ted Purvis (Granger), a philandering conscription-dodger.

Cast

 * John Mills as Jim Colter
 * Stewart Granger as Ted Purvis
 * Alastair Sim as Dr. Montgomery
 * Joy Shelton as Tillie Colter
 * Alison Leggatt as Ruby
 * Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Colter
 * George Carney as Tom Mason
 * Leslie Bradley as Mike Duggan
 * Jean Kent as Toni
 * Ben Williams as Corporal Lewis
 * Anna Konstam as May
 * Vera Frances as Vera Colter
 * George Merritt as Air Raid Warden
 * Ian Fleming as Officer at Station
 * Wylie Watson as Tattooist
 * John Boxer as Policeman at the Fight in Arcade
 * Frank Atkinson as Pub Barman

Production
The film was originally known as Blue for Waterloo.

Stewart Granger later said the film was one of his favourites as his role "was a heel, but a real character". He says the film was made in ten days while he was also making Love Story. He was particularly proud of the fight scene with John Mills.

Sidney Gilliat said he was taken off the film before it was finished. Production was stopped and there were still some exteriors to be shot. Ted Black had gone and the Ostrers put the film at the end of the dubbing schedule. However, Earl St John who was in charge of Odeon cinemas liked the film and got the dubbing done.

Gilliat said the idea of using Alastair Sim's character as a commentator was his, though based on the original Val Valentine story. However, he thought the device "proved a bit of a mess".