With having been introduced to the charms of George Formby from the age of 6,thanks to my dad recording a number of his movies off Channel 4 from the early 90's,I felt that it was about time,to introduce a friend to the leaning on a lamppost world of Formby.
The plot:
Bravely leaving his family and the cotton picking job that he has had for his whole life,penniless George Trotter decides to follow his dream of entertaining people by going from the industrial sound of Manchester,to the dazzling lights of London.Finding himself desperate to find a place to stay,Trotter decides to go for a low-rent room in Ma Tubb's Select Boarding House.Meeting his fellow residents,George is thrilled to discover that all of them have the same dream as his of making it to the shining lights.Sadly for George,one of his fellow Boarding House residents see his arrival as a clever way to make Trotter a lead suspect for a murder which he did not commit.
View on the film:
Although the screenplay by Stephen Black,Peter Fraser,Norman Lee,Howard Irving Young and Michael Vaughan (not the England cricket captain- despite what IMDb claim!) does sadly lack the witty,double meaning lyrics and wonderfully catchy fantasy sequence's which help to make Formby's other films so memorable,the writer's impressively make the murder part of the movie really strong,thanks to getting George caught up in situations well over his head, (with Formby having to play dead being a particular highlight) and director Marcel Varnel also making the real murderer surprisingly menacing. (Something that would lead to this being Formby's only "A" rated film.)
Showing that not even two sub-par songs can bring him down,George Formby gives a terrific,warm hearted performance as George Trotter,with Formby showing Trotter to be someone,who even when his own neck is on the line, (the movie was made when people were still being executed via hanging in the UK) is still thinking about what he can do to help those around him reach the shining lights.
The plot:
Bravely leaving his family and the cotton picking job that he has had for his whole life,penniless George Trotter decides to follow his dream of entertaining people by going from the industrial sound of Manchester,to the dazzling lights of London.Finding himself desperate to find a place to stay,Trotter decides to go for a low-rent room in Ma Tubb's Select Boarding House.Meeting his fellow residents,George is thrilled to discover that all of them have the same dream as his of making it to the shining lights.Sadly for George,one of his fellow Boarding House residents see his arrival as a clever way to make Trotter a lead suspect for a murder which he did not commit.
View on the film:
Although the screenplay by Stephen Black,Peter Fraser,Norman Lee,Howard Irving Young and Michael Vaughan (not the England cricket captain- despite what IMDb claim!) does sadly lack the witty,double meaning lyrics and wonderfully catchy fantasy sequence's which help to make Formby's other films so memorable,the writer's impressively make the murder part of the movie really strong,thanks to getting George caught up in situations well over his head, (with Formby having to play dead being a particular highlight) and director Marcel Varnel also making the real murderer surprisingly menacing. (Something that would lead to this being Formby's only "A" rated film.)
Showing that not even two sub-par songs can bring him down,George Formby gives a terrific,warm hearted performance as George Trotter,with Formby showing Trotter to be someone,who even when his own neck is on the line, (the movie was made when people were still being executed via hanging in the UK) is still thinking about what he can do to help those around him reach the shining lights.