Oh, Mr. Porter!
- 1937
- 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
With the help of a relative, a hopeless railway employee is made stationmaster of Buggleskelly. Determined to make his mark, he devises a number of schemes to put Buggleskelly on the railway... Read allWith the help of a relative, a hopeless railway employee is made stationmaster of Buggleskelly. Determined to make his mark, he devises a number of schemes to put Buggleskelly on the railway map, but instead falls foul of a gang of gun runners.With the help of a relative, a hopeless railway employee is made stationmaster of Buggleskelly. Determined to make his mark, he devises a number of schemes to put Buggleskelly on the railway map, but instead falls foul of a gang of gun runners.
Frank Atkinson
- Irate Irishman in Barney's Bar
- (uncredited)
Wilson Coleman
- Minister of Public Communications
- (uncredited)
Bryan Herbert
- Express Train Guard
- (uncredited)
Harry Hutchinson
- Signalman
- (uncredited)
Betty Jardine
- Secretary
- (uncredited)
Frederick Lloyd
- Official at Ceremony
- (uncredited)
Frederick Piper
- Mr. Leadbetter - Railway Official
- (uncredited)
Charles Rolfe
- Express Train Driver
- (uncredited)
Beatrice Varley
- Barney's Bar Landlady
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
If anyone out there still "does the ironing", this is a perfect movie to watch while doing so. Time flies and so does the ironing! This and Arthur Askey's Ghost Train. Great and innocent FUN! Even if slightly dimwitted!I wish they still made comedies like this today.
10sol-
An absolutely classic comedy on every frontier, the chemistry between the three leads is perfect, with each actor pulling his own weight to deliver in this comedy gem that has often been hailed as one of the best British comedies of all time. The jokes are not only funny but charming too most of the time, and although the plot and characters are quite silly, they are all well written for their purpose. The film's technical side is quite impressive too, in particular considering its age, with some great cinematography, a perfectly creaky set design and effective dissolve editing. The special effects and stunt work is also worth marveling at, and the overall film is largely enjoyable. It is not deep, and it is rather silly, but if those qualities can be overlooked, a fun, funny and generally well made film awaits.
This has to be the all time best British comedy film, filmed quickly and cheaply as usual. Since I was a kid in the early '70's I've seen it more times than any other film except the Wizard of Oz and maybe the Big Sleep - see it once a year and it still seems amazingly fresh and funny. It's always been one of my daughters' favourite films, so I know it's not just me and similar oldies. And yet it doesn't appear in any of the American film books I've read, I can only surmise they don't show it in the US. It's their terrible loss, and I would urge all fun loving Americans to hunt down and view a copy!
Rundown railway station gets rundown railway station master and staff, up against gun smugglers and the ghost of One Eyed Joe. British humour maybe, but completely clean and non offensive if paradoxically also a little non PC - not like today! Fast and frantic, there's more gags a minute than most (if not all) other film comedies from any country or era. What a Golden Age it would have been if all pre-War British films could have been like this, instead of the quota quickies they churned out.
Will Hay/Moore Marriott/Graham Moffatt/Marcel Varnel/Gainsborough's masterpiece for succeeding discerning generations to discover and cherish.
Rundown railway station gets rundown railway station master and staff, up against gun smugglers and the ghost of One Eyed Joe. British humour maybe, but completely clean and non offensive if paradoxically also a little non PC - not like today! Fast and frantic, there's more gags a minute than most (if not all) other film comedies from any country or era. What a Golden Age it would have been if all pre-War British films could have been like this, instead of the quota quickies they churned out.
Will Hay/Moore Marriott/Graham Moffatt/Marcel Varnel/Gainsborough's masterpiece for succeeding discerning generations to discover and cherish.
This is a bit of trivia for the benefit of all train spotters out there. Presumably as a result of the film being made on Southern Railway, several miles to the north of Southampton, the credits incorporate a few unacknowledged shots of Southampton. Most obviously, the station that's shown on emerging from a tunnel is the old Southampton West station, now Southampton Central, in the form it took before Hermann Goering radically reshaped it. Perhaps the shots were intended as part of the final reel. If so, they count as outtakes, recycled in the credits.
Say something about the film, must I? Well, of course, it's sheer genius. Surely that doesn't need saying. I can't wait for the day that Quentin Tarantino discovers it.
Say something about the film, must I? Well, of course, it's sheer genius. Surely that doesn't need saying. I can't wait for the day that Quentin Tarantino discovers it.
This is quite possibly the greatest British comedy film made. The humour still stands up today and the scenes are as clever as any modern work. Unfortunatly, the film's star Will Hay, has almost been forgotten by the comedy industry and little is spoken about him. This film is a classic example of British comedy and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys and a good laugh and occasional scare. Classic.
Did you know
- TriviaThe railway going through Buggleskelly was actually the old Basingstoke to Alton line in Hampshire which closed in 1932.
- GoofsWhen Harbottle moves the engine off its whistle is heard, but neither he nor Porter pull the whistle cord.
- ConnectionsEdited into Une femme disparaît (1938)
- SoundtracksOh, Mr. Porter
(uncredited)
Music by George LeBrunn
Lyrics by Thomas LeBrunn
- How long is Oh, Mr. Porter!?Powered by Alexa
- Where was Buggleskelly Station in real life?
- Where is One Eyed Joe's windmill located?
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Otto, zieh' die Bremse an!
- Filming locations
- Cliddesden Halt Station, Basingstoke-Alton Light Railway, Hampshire, England, UK(Buggleskelly Station)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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