The Fortunate Fool

I am inserting reviews for all films I've seen that lack one, every film deserves a review!.... A rich author looking for 'real life' inspiration adopts a career thief, and an attractive typist who is looking for a job, in this routine tale of the British class system, it's amusing enough to pass the time, but only of note as one of the early films edited by the great D.Lean, all in all OK. I can't say that the editing by Lean is any better or worse than any other aspect of this film. Anyone interested in checking this film out can get it on the 4 film DVD set 'The Ealing Studios Rarities Collection Volume #6' I have to pad to make the review long enough, why? as I have no more to add in relation to the film, I will point out that it was made at Ealing studios, but is not an 'Ealing Films' production, the majority of the films in the Ealing Rarities Collections fall into this category.

Hugh Wakefield is a wealthy author, bored with his present routine, who persuades Batty, an ex-boxer turned vagrant and petty thief (Arthur Chesney) and young office worker Helen (Joan Wyndham) down on her luck, to share his comfortable apartment. Batty steals a valuable miniature and Helen is blamed, but Wakefield manages to sort it out, forgives Batty and realises he much prefers Helen to his haughty fiancée.

Director Norman Walker made a number of films with a Christian angle; here altruism and forgiveness, together with the value of not limiting your friends to those of a similar background are the themes of this somewhat contrived little comedy, but it passes seventy minutes or so quite painlessly. Chesney, who's quite amusing, resembles a portly Edmund Gwenn, but I didn't realise that they actually were brothers. The relationship between Wakefield and his wealthy fiancée, young enough to be his daughter, is not very convincing, but Joan Wyndham is very sincere as Helen.

I am grateful for one of the other reviewers pointing out that Arthur Chesney was the brother of Edmund Gwenn.Every time I looked at him I noted the resemblance.This film is a minor comedy which is a child of its time.This film was made at the height of the depression,so it was clearly a fantasy for most people to see someone claiming to be penniless whereas in reality they are rich.Wakefield brings Batty and Helen to his flat to acquire more material for his book.However not surprisingly he falls in love with Helen.However she doesn't want to know when she finds out he is engaged.It has to be said that apart from her manner,the fiancée looks a better bet than Helen.However it wouldn't be a 30s film if he didn't end up with Helen.A minor comedy but passes a pleasant 70 minutes.