Not So Dusty

Despite the presence of Bill Owen and Leslie Dwyer as two working class dustman, the script is so poor, that to say this was a considered a B film is being too kind. The storyline where Owen and Dwyer come across a rare and valuable book, which then gets passed around is tedious in the extreme. Dandy Nichols, who achieved later success playing the wife of Alf Garnett, makes a valiant effort to inject some humour into the proceedings, but a daft script is even too much for her! This is a very dated film and strictly for lovers of turgid 'comedies' made in the 50's. No wonder these type of films are consigned to the museum of awfully, cheap films, where only film buffs look at them out of curiosity! Give it a big miss!

Just found this film on the Talking Pictures TV Channel, I thought I'd take a shufty at it.

There is an old saying from the North of England that my mum used to say, "I'm not so dusty well brushed" which meant "I'm not so bad as I seem/look".

Though I don't know if that's where the film title comes from.

If that is the derivation of the movie title it is not at all appropriate as it is so Dusty, it's covered in cobwebs so ancient is the material.

If this in not bad enough it gets worse when Bill Owen starts singing, and Lobelia gets her number later on.

I don't know who wrote the script but it's so corny the gags were doubtless nicked, from from one of the old music hall comics like Arthur Askey.

NOT SO DUSTY is written and directed by the hard-working Maclean Rogers, who seemed to single-handedly prop up British B-movie cinema back in the 1950s. It's a remake of a '30s comedy about the escapades of a couple of unlucky bin men who come into possession of a rare book and subsequently are involved in plotting by various characters each attempting to win it for themselves.

Needless to say that the laughs are broad and dated in this film, with lots of humour that would be considered tired and predictable by modern viewers. Saying that, the naturalness of the jokes feels effortless in places and the good cast do very well at bringing their caricatures to life. Bill Owen in particular seems to be channelling the spirit of Compo in an early turn while Leslie Dwyer is ever impressive. The supporting cast includes plenty of familiar faces such as Dandy Nichols, Wally Patch and Roddy Hughes from the TOFF films, and child actor William Simons, later to become a mainstay of British TV for his role in HEARTBEAT.

Another remake by Maclean Rogers of a quota quickie he made in the thirties (presumably he was responsible for the 'topical' gags that are sprinkled throughout this new version). Wally Patch, who co-wrote the earlier version in which he originally played the title role, plays a villainous supporting role this time round.

As usual, it's painful to see a book supposedly worth thousands (Volume 1 of 'The Philosophy of Diogenes' on this occasion) being roughly handled by people who plainly have no idea how to really handle rare books (or any books at all, since Dandy Nichols casually admits at one point to tearing a few pages from the back of an old algebra text book to make hair-curlers out of).

Dusty and Nobby are a pair of dustmen who come into possession of a valuable book.

A standard British comedy of the time featuring television stars and up and coming actors of the day. The jokes are forced one-liners taken straight out of stage comedies and the plot is superficial to support the jokes.

As long as you are not expecting too much this is an enjoyable film with satisfactory performances. Dandy Nichols steals the show and gives us a taste of her talent which was particularly suited to Sit-Com's on television such as Till Death Us Do Part and In Sickness And In Health, both with Warren Mitchell.