Cheer Boys Cheer

This is a pretty terrible film. Ian Darylmple wrote a few superb little comedies and dramas in the thirties but this is one I think he'd rather forget about. It replaces silliness for humour and annoying caricatures for characters. Drivel would be the politest description.

Being made just a few months before the outbreak of The Second World War the analogy of a big nasty mechanical concern threatening a quaint place like John Major's 'land of long shadows on county cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers' is pretty clear. Had the script lived up to the film's clever premise, had it got some teeth, it could have been interesting but everything lets this down.

The whole thing feels just too nice, it lacks any edge or real wit. Michael Balcon had just taken over what would shortly become Ealing Studios and was imposing his gentle, comfortable niceness to the studio's output. Whereas this would eventually result in a handful of great subtle, very English nice, comfy pictures, this one just leaves you comfortably numb.

Besides the stupid unbelievable story another problem with this is its cast. For a comedy there should be at least one comedy actor - this just has a mediocre support cast trying to play lead roles. Worst of all are Marriott and Moffatt whom as foils to the great Will Hay were funny in small doses but as major roles trying to act, they're embarrassingly bad.