Dumb Daddies

It is a great shame that the first reel of this film appears to be missing (with the exception of stills) because it is a very fine dark comedy with a nightmarish feel to it, superbly executed in minimalist by the much undervalued Max Davidson. Unlike other Davidson films, he gets away rather here from the Jewish caricature (while maintaining the persona) and the usual farcical elements acquires here a zany quality bordering on the surreal - as where he is transfixed by the neck to a fence (as a result of the attentions of a dog on the other side and a cord round his neck, and is incapable of controlling his responses to an investigating policeman or the moment later in the film where a woman slipping is transfixed with horror as she mistakes a false leg for her own.

Yep, he's a dumb daddy alright - and so is the plot of this lame comedy. Only some last minute antics with a mannequin's leg raise even the ghost of a smile.

Though this one is flawed by the loss of the early scenes simulated with stills and captions, the ending develops into a characteristically clever and funny outing for the team.

Spec is off rehearsing the murder play, in a hotel with Hill & Richard. Dad Max suspects the worst and peers through the door to see a scene where a dummy is used as the body and packed away in a sack.

Max ends up racing round town followed by uniform patrolmen, including Kennedy doing his recognisable expressions. The final gags, when the dummy's leg becomes detached and appears to be part of the cloche hat woman ("I'm ruined"), are vintage.

Stevens' camera-work is accomplished without being remarkable.