Editing Phyllis Calvert (section)

===Gainsborough Pictures===
Calvert was spotted in a play ''[[Punch without Judy]]'', and was signed to a contract by [[Gainsborough Pictures]] which gave her the lead in ''[[They Came by Night]]'' (1940), opposite [[Will Fyffe]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65855570 |title=Phyllis Calvert. |newspaper=[[Morwell Advertiser]] |issue=2850 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=3 July 1941 |access-date=29 August 2017 |page=4 (morning.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She was [[George Formby]]'s love interest in ''[[Let George Do It!]]'' (1940) and had a support part in ''[[Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt]]'' (1940), starring [[Arthur Askey]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/let-george-do-it-v99403 |title=Let George Do It (1940) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a765646|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309123048/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a765646|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 March 2016|title=Charley's (Big-hearted) Aunt (1940)|website=BFI|accessdate=16 March 2023}}</ref> Calvert was championed by the head of Gainsborough, Ted Black.<ref name="edward">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-moguls-ted-black/|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|date=1 December 2024|access-date=1 December 2024|title=Forgotten British Film Moguls: Ted Black}}</ref>

Calvert was in a war movie, ''[[Neutral Port]]'' (1940), then had a good role as [[Michael Redgrave]]'s love interest in ''[[Kipps (1941 film)|Kipps]]'' (1941), directed by [[Carol Reed]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/neutral-port-v103754 |title=Neutral Port (1941) – Marcel Varnel – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/kipps-v27501 |title=Kipps (1941) – Carol Reed – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref> After a detective film ''[[Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It]]'' (1941) she had the co-lead in ''[[Uncensored (film)|Uncensored]]'' (1942), a war movie with [[Eric Portman]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ad296be|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925042927/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ad296be|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 September 2017|title=Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (1941)|website=BFI|accessdate=16 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/uncensored-v114978 |title=Uncensored (1942) – Anthony Asquith – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |website=AllMovie}}</ref> Reed used her again in ''[[The Young Mr. Pitt]]'' (1942), playing [[Eleanor Eden]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bb6c9a7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503072227/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bb6c9a7|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 May 2017|title=The Young Mr. Pitt (1942)|website=BFI|accessdate=16 March 2023}}</ref>

In 1942, she had the lead role as Patricia Graham in the [[West End theatre|West End]] production of [[Terence Rattigan]]'s play ''[[Flare Path]]''.<ref name=telegraph/><ref name=guardian>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/09/guardianobituaries.filmnews |title=Obituary: Phyllis Calvert |author=Eric Shorter |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 October 2002}}</ref>