Reviews

The Players' Theatre sequences were directed by Michael Winner, a fact seemingly never mentioned in any biographies. Winner was, apparently, an office boy at Fancey's and got the job when someone else fell ill. This information was given to me directly by the late Denis Martin who was one of the Players' directors and who was directly involved in the making of the film. A useless piece of trivial information was also that the arc lights used during filming caught the house curtains alight and the Players' got a new set of curtains from the film producers.

Not mentioned in the earlier comments are the main performers at the Players. Firstly there is a lengthy sequence with the chairman, a very young Barry Cryer, talking to the audience. Then there is an excellent comic number (They Always Pick on Me) by Sheila Bernette. The film ends with the entire Harry Champion Scena with John Rutland as Champion. This was shot when the dressing rooms were directly backstage and Rutland is assisted at the beginning by Players' stalwart Michael Darbyshire. The accompanying cast - too many to name - include the late Brian Blades who also choreographed the scena.

One cast list error. Julia Sutton is listed but in fact it was Doreen Hermitage and not her.

The film itself deserves all the comments made earlier despite the fact it wanders off course a bit in the Carnaby Street sequence. It never made a release on VHS and it is wonderful to see it get released at last on DVD.

This film was also made by John Blakely and shot at the Albany 'Studio' which was above a garage in Regent Street. Apparently the mechanics had to stop work every time they filmed.

The film is described as a 'Merry Musical Burlesque' The plot is so disjointed it barely deserves a mention other than to say Formby plays a gormless private detective.

He appears again in scenes with his wife Beryl - she wasn't much of a singer and had a 'posh' 1930s speaking voice which now sounds rather ridiculous and is at odds with George's accent.

At least he gets to sing a lot more than in his first film and he uses not only a proper ukulele but the banjulele (or Ukulele Banjo) for which he was famous.

The other highlights for me are the inclusion of two super variety acts that border on being speciality acts. Firstly is an eccentric dancer called Len Martin who starts of with a patter and cross talk routine before dancing. Some of his material is just a bit near the mark too, especially for 1935.

The second act is Stan Pell and Stan Little who do a routine as a Parson and a little boy. Little is the little boy who is supposed to be 7 years old but is actually a midget who was aged around 24. You'll see for yourself if you ever get to see this film. It's a priceless act - but like Len Martin absolutely nothing to do with the 'plot'.

By Blakeley and Mancunian Films standards this was probably a good film but by any other standards it was not. Nevertheless it and its predecessor Boots! Boots! were a big enough attraction 'oop North' to gain the interest of Basil Dean who directed Formby's following films and made him one of the greatest (if not the greatest) cinema stars of the 30s and 40s in the UK.