Bob's Your Uncle

A series of extremely perfunctorily filmed but diverting music hall sketches (complete with songs and a pantomime horse) with a Home Guard backdrop to give it topicality and a patriotic finale.

What a weird film! A cross between a nineteen-thirties kids' comic and music hall, it looks a bit like a failed pilot for Dad's Army. But in reality the Home Guard simply provides one aspect of this, at times surreal, wartime flag-waver from the Butchers stable. There is no plot; comedian Albert Modley and comedy actor George Bolton simply wander from one sketch to another supported by the likes of Wally Patch and obligatory pretty girl Jean Colin who, unbelievably becomes Modley's fiancee. Cue comedy double-talk scene with her father when asking permission to marry. Some of the sketches are quite funny, such as when George is asked to gift wrap an inflated baloon. Others are simply chucklesome, relying on Modley's daft antics. And others are downright confusing when he comes out with strange phrases such as "Where's Dick?" to which the response is apparently - "Bob's Your Uncle!". Which must have meant something at the time! Mainly curiosity value now, it probably gave audiences a welcome giggle during the dark days of WW2.

Firstly thanks to TPTV for showing this wartime comedy.Unlike the other reviewer I am not prepared to base my consideration of the merits of this film on whether it remains funny 76 years after its making.In any event anyone who does not recognise Wally Patch,with 261 credits is clearly not familiar with films of the era.There is a narrative storyline which is fairly irrelevant in any event.There is a really pleasant rendition of Hey Little Hen.Anyone familiar with the films of Arthur Lucan and Frank Randle will find something to entertain them in this film.