Department Store

Decent little quota quickie which sees a case of mistaken identity leading to the nephew of the owner of a department store being hired to crack its safe. Garry Marsh stands out as the store's crooked boss.

A slick little Twickenham quickie that vouchsafes a few home truths about the realities of life for ordinary working stiffs during the thirties (there's a reference at one point to "the cuts", the working day we're told is 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. and you had to be the owner's nephew to be eligible for two week's leave on full pay), served up with style and a sense of humour.

As the obnoxious manager who toadies up to those with influence while bullying those without Garry Marsh confirms that he was never young.

This is actually quite a fun little throw-away mystery that I couldn't help but think would have been a good vehicle for Norman Wisdom! It's all centred around the nephew of the wealthy owner of of a big store who is to be sent, incognito, into the business to learn the ropes. Only the general manager "Bradbury" (Garry Marsh) knows the true identity of his charge (Sebastian Shaw). Simultaneously, "Burge" (Jack Melford) arrives and is soon on the enormous salary of 15 guineas per week! Shortly thereafter news of an impending general audit is announced. This is when we discover that "Bradbury" has had his hands in the till and so he engages "Burge" to help him out. Thing is, there's been a mix up at check-in, and only we are actually sure whom is whom! It's a simple, light-hearted, comedy with no jeopardy or menace, but a hint of just desserts as it moves along, quickly, for just over an hour. You won't remember it, but you might quite enjoy it if you like this style of cheap and cheerful British afternoon cinema fodder.

As this film was almost 90 years old I had expected to watch only ten minutes or so as films from this era are often very difficult to watch due to their very dated style, but this was not the case.

A very good script with great performances all round and a glimpse into the past when the lower classes knew their place by tugging their forelocks to the toffs at regular intervals and calling their social betters "sir" or "madam".

One of the female characters had a large flying saucer shaped piece of lace on the front of her dress, very odd.

Well worth watching as it's very funny and time capsule.

A better class quota quickie – this was another Real Art production from Julius Hagen at Twickenham, cheaply made of course but entertaining notwithstanding. The censors certificate at the start states the title is Department Stores so maybe it was a large operation, and the credits hail An All Star Cast - although there are many British minor film stalwarts in here it's rather a hopeful credit. But as the lead man Sebastian Shaw later went on to appear in Return Of The Jedi maybe the farce stayed with him!

As separate favours two people start on the same day at a dysfunctional department store: one the well-bred heir to the store the other a light-fingered crook. Garry Marsh plays the thieving tripe-talking manager who gets the two the wrong way round thereby greasing up to the crook and giving the owners' son a hard time. The film concerns the farcical comedy of errors with many deceptions and a robbery. The moral to me is that as the baddies couldn't recognise obvious good breeding from one of their own low kind they deserved all their luck – Class should tell after all, shouldn't it? From my experience all the Little Hitler's I've ever known always knew who to toady to and who to spurn from blind instinct. There's time for a sprinkling of romance, even smart-ass cynicism and it's fascinating to watch pan out, and well worth the 67 minute running time of a regrettably grotty print.