Noël Coward

Shortly after his play "Blithe Spirit" opened in the West End in July 1941, Noël Coward was approached by Anthony Havelock-Allan, who was working with the production company Two Cities Films. Its founder, Filippo Del Giudice, was interested in making a propaganda film and wanted someone well known to write the screenplay. Coward agreed to work on the project as long as the subject was the Royal Navy and he was given complete control. Coward acutely felt that with the coming of war, the world of which he wrote, bright young things scampering around drawing rooms, was a world that no longer existed.

"In Which We Serve" (1942) was directed by Coward and David Lean, who made his debut as a director. Coward was nervous at the prospect of directing and asked his friend John Mills if he could recommend someone to help him. Mills suggested "the best editor in the country," Lean. Before accepting the assignment, Lean asked Coward how the credits would read. Coward suggested that they would say "helped by David Lean," but Lean insisted that they read "Directed by Noël Coward and David Lean." It was his only request, and one to which Coward readily agreed. After about three weeks of shooting, Coward realized that (a)Lean knew a lot more about filmmaking than he did, and (b) he didn't care much for the long hours. So Coward effectively handed the directorial reins over to his partner at that point.

Coward composed the music as well as starring in the film as the ship's captain. There were doubts as to whether he could convincingly portray a hardened Naval Commander. After the movie's release, his performance was widely praised.

The film would eventually be shown to all new Royal Navy recruits after it was released to give them an idea and an impression of what life in the Navy was like.