Cinq Nuits sans sommeil

Stanley Lupino saves Polly Walker from scoundrel Gerald Rawlinson, and is mistaken for her newly married husband in this blithe little musical comedy.

By this point, Lupino and his production unit at British International had gotten the hang of making film musicals. The songs fit the moment, even if they don't advance the plot, and director of photography Jack E. Cox -- who was also Hitchcock's cinematographer from THE RING through NUMBER SEVENTEEN -- shoots the dance numbers in medium long shot, to show the dancers in their entirety. The jokes and physical gags serve to pepper rather than to overwhelm the story, and there are even a few gags about the form; when Miss Walker complains that she can't sing because there is no music, Lupino strikes a few notes upon a convenient object and raises an unseen orchestra.

Polly Walker made only two movies, but she was active on the stage, where she was featured by George M. Cohan in two of his shows. She had been born in Chicago in 1904 and lived to be 78. I can't find much else about her because a Google search confuses her with another actress by the same name, born in 1966. Such are the vicissitudes of a none-too-diligent researcher!

I believe that one of the greatest song and dance productions in British cinematic history was the number where Stanley Lupino performs "I Don't Want To Go To Bed" during this film. It is set during what appears to be a New Year's party at a very posh hotel. Stanley Lupino was a multi-talented personality. I am so pleased that more of his films have been released in the last couple of years. However, I believe that this number shines out as his finest dance performance with a particular "rubber legs" style. He moves with incredible speed and alacrity. The music reaches a kind of manic excitement which accentuates he overall mood. Sir John Mills noted these points in an anthology of "The Best of British Cinema" video that was released in around 1991. Therefore, I feel it is such a shame that this has not been released on DVD !

Stanley Lupino,father of Ida,is an unjustly forgotten comedy actor.In this film,which he wrote he is a journalist sent to the South of France to interview a reclusive millionaire..He offers his hotel bedroom to the millionaires daughter to use to avoid her boyfriend,who is actually a crook,Gerald Rawlinson.Lupinos boss arrives unexpectedly and as there is no other room available expects to share the hotel room with Lupino.Lupino explains the situation by saying he had just married the girl.Obviously lots of comedic situations arise because of this.There is a lot of physical comedy particularly between Lupino and Rawlinson.Some of it a bit childish but there is a dinner scene which although a bit predictable is still funny.There are 5 not just the one song listed above.However none of them are particularly memorable when you appreciate that the songs are written by Noel Gay.To sum up it is amusing but not one of Lupinos best films.