Rather obscure comedy of manners from TCF. It's not a knee-slapper, but the situation's amusing enough along with a very capable cast. In fact I agree with another reviewer that the material is strong enough to warrant a longer film. Coming from moneyed studio TCF, I wonder why the oversight. Maybe it was because of the British cast and lack of a marquee name.
An unemployed crew of stage performers pretends to be household servants so they can become a rich stuffy old man's household help. The trouble is can they bring off the impersonation even as their amusing staginess keeps interfering with their act? The comedic potential between clashing personality types remains a rich one
The first part is a fairly mild set-up, comedy-wise, but the last reaches a level of madcap as the crew's real identities begin to show though-- they just can't help themselves. The latter furnishes a lot of chuckles, especially Gardiner's ditzy mugging. On the whole, Fields makes a persuasive chief conniver, while Gardiner and Schaefer get most of the laughs. Wooley, of course, makes a grandiose rich guy, stuffy and superior, a perfect foil for the stagy cut-ups. Then too, McDowall's estranged teen-age son adds a note of poignancy to the proceedings.
Anyway, the premise and cast are a compelling one even if the overall results add up to an under-achiever.
An unemployed crew of stage performers pretends to be household servants so they can become a rich stuffy old man's household help. The trouble is can they bring off the impersonation even as their amusing staginess keeps interfering with their act? The comedic potential between clashing personality types remains a rich one
The first part is a fairly mild set-up, comedy-wise, but the last reaches a level of madcap as the crew's real identities begin to show though-- they just can't help themselves. The latter furnishes a lot of chuckles, especially Gardiner's ditzy mugging. On the whole, Fields makes a persuasive chief conniver, while Gardiner and Schaefer get most of the laughs. Wooley, of course, makes a grandiose rich guy, stuffy and superior, a perfect foil for the stagy cut-ups. Then too, McDowall's estranged teen-age son adds a note of poignancy to the proceedings.
Anyway, the premise and cast are a compelling one even if the overall results add up to an under-achiever.