Back-Room Boy (1942)
7/10
Doin' the Lambeff Tork
5 August 2006
This was Arthur Askey's fifth film (and sans Stinker), and in my opinion his last really good one - three flag wavers and many nothing's followed. It's also one of my favourite British WW2 comedy efforts, a jolly time-passing Hun-beater.

At the BBC Arthur is responsible for transmitting on the hour every hour The Wireless Pips - wonder how many people believed it - but not surprisingly it wreaks havoc with his social life. Big, now a confirmed misogynist is posted to a lonely Scottish lighthouse where there are no women ... when he arrives. Never mind the photo of the topless woman, there's soon Googie and a gaggle of leggy and laughing lovelies for him to try and ignore too. With a plethora of spooky disappearances he's up against Jerry (and "Quislings") but doesn't know it until near the end - the audience would've guessed from the beginning they'd make a show. A refreshing extra dimension was added with Vera Francis, the "13 year old from Lambeff" - her world-weary and cynical comments still sound fresh and amusing even at this distance. Arthur and Vera made a good team, this one's worth watching just to see them spark.

A pleasant outing for all concerned, sad to think it was all downhill afterwards.
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