Holiday's with Pay

Frank Randle is back, traveling with his family - wife Tessie O'Shea, brother Dan Young and daughter Sally Barnes - to holiday in Blackpool. This one has a plot, as Miss Barnes falls in love with Sonny Burke. To inherit something or other, he must spend an evening in a haunted house, so the entire crew winds up there. There's also a subplot about Burke's cousin, who wants to inherit, but like the other Randle movies, that inconvenience is handwaved away by the end.

It's not really a Randle vehicle. It lacks the elaborate, bawdy comedy sketches the others borrow from his stage act. Indeed, a lot of the comedy is provided by Young. Two songs by Miss O'Shea have disappeared from the print, but there is a good montage of the holiday delights of Blackpool, including the crowded beaches and the amusement park features. If you're looking for Randle, you may be disappointed, but what remains is a decent, if unremarkable comedy with some decent documentary footage.

Tessie O'Shea provided Frank Randle with an amply proportioned partner in this postwar outing that demonstrates evidence of ambition on the part of Manchurian Films through its duration and a budget that permitted Randle at least five different hats, including a flying helmet for when he takes the wheel of the family car.

While the subtlety of the gags recalls the silent cinema - complete with a conclusion (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) set in a haunted house - that impression is soon dispelled by the sheer quantity of talk along with the fortifies big hair worn by the women and the enormous shoulders on their coats.

Although the action seldom leaves the studio, archival interest derives from contemporary footage of the actual Blackpool and a rare screen appearance by Irish tenor Joseph Locke. One question remains: how did a grotesque pair like Randle and O'Shea produce two such personable daughters?

It is quite apparent for us in the twentieth first century that Frank Randle was clearly a phenomenon of his time.He was clearly very popular particularly up north.He had this habit of not following the script which got him in trouble with the watch committees wherever he played.He was probably able to get away with more in his films as the censor doesn't seem to have had problems with him.He is quite broad and fairly vulgar but not blue in this film.At times he seems to have been let loose on the streets of Blackpool,and everyone seems to be part of the scene.Handle at times is so outrageous he is almost beyond criticism.

I think this is a film that will appeal to all true Frank Randle Fans The copy i saw had a flaw in the last 15 minutes but with the sound turned up was still great.Frank goes on holiday with his extended family (as usual he does nowt alone)in a car towing a caravan and guess what the car breaks down (from then slapstick abounds) he eventually gets to Blackpool and his adventure begins (haunted house and all) I will not spoil it any more for you But all i will say is that If you are able to get a copy You will enjoy.I just wish i could get to see " Somewhere in Civvies & Somewhere in Politics " Maybe someone can help me find a good copy of each at a reasonable price.Fingers crossed.