Trouble in the Air

This comedy centers on the aging butler (Freddie Frinton as Fred Somers)to a poor somewhat befuddled country squire (Malcolm Russell as Sir Charles Newdigate). The butler must beg, borrow or steal to keep food on the table and the bailiff from the door. On the scene comes a BBC producer (Jimmy Edwards as B. Barrington Crockett) who wants to feature local bell ringers, including the butler and squire, on his radio program. A local wheeler dealer (Laurence Naismith as Tom Hunt) schemes to buy the squire's land before a roadway increases its value tenfold. Naturally, the butler's garage owning son (Dennis Vance as Larry Somers) falls in love with the squire's visiting niece from Australia (Stella Henderson as April Newdigate).

This is enough plot to fill the hour or so running time. However the plot is extremely predictable and the characters are strictly one dimensional. The relationship between the butler and the squire is more maudlin than the intended heart warming. Presumably the film was intended to exploit local fame of comic Frinton and post war popularity of Edwards. Unfortunately neither is a good actor, with Frinton mugging through his role and Edwards, despite a more showy and entertaining role, is essentially "one note" (when you hear his high giggle for the tenth time it begins to lose its charm).

Overall this is a modestly entertaining British quota quickee intended for local viewers more familiar with the principals. It is perhaps most suited for those of us with a soft spot for English comedy and its assortment of character people.

Stock characters, stock situations, stock shtick performed at top speed, resulting in random results, except for journeys ending in lovers meeting. That's what we have here as Freddy Frinton, lone remaining manservant to broke baronet Malcolm Russell, helps his master not be swindled by crooked real estate agent Laurence Naismith and two smarmy City types who sings sentimental songs in swing time at random moments. There's also Jimmy Edwards to set off a subplot in involving a bell-ringing team; Joyce Golding, reciting "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with a stammer, stutter and Tourette's syndrome.

It's the stage humor of eighty years ago, transferred here to screen, that had become as stylized -- I'm tempted to write "ossified" -- as Noh drama or the B western. Audiences came to see Freddie Frinton playing the comic retainer, just as they came to hear Gracie Fields singing "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World", Abbott & Costello do "Who's on First," or the Rolling Stones sing "Satisfaction." I am told that to this day, you can't turn on German or Austrian TV on New Year's and watch anything but Frinton in TABLE FOR ONE. Of course, you'd like to hear them do it on stage, but the farceurs are dead. Except, of course, on film and on German TV on New Year's Day, where you can still admire the expert timing and pratfalls.

Jimmy Edwards and Freddie Frinton both had successful tv shows in the early years of tv.Frinton played drunks,which he also plays here.This is one of the Rank charm school films and has little to recommend it.