The Dummy Talks

An escapist wartime revue film masquerading as a murder mystery historically notable as the big screen debut of Jack ('Blue Pencil') Warner when he was famous as a radio comedian.

Enlivened as usual by it's bit players, most of them uncredited, such as a statuesque young Hy Hazel when she answered to the name of Derna, and Ian Wilson and Olive Sloane, both of whom appeared memorably for the Boulting Brothers after the war in 'Seven Days to Noon'.

A blackmailing ventriloquist (Russell Warren) is murdered backstage at a theatre putting on a variety show. An inept police detective (Claude Hulbert) investigates along with a counterfeit investigator (Piers Harriman) while the show goes on.

A rather poor backstage thriller comedy with it's main redeeming features being the first screen performance from then radio star Jack Warner and the performances of some long forgotten variety artistes. Among them is impersonater comedienne Beryl Orde, a Chinese acrobatic group, the Lai Foons, the Skating Avalons and the jaw dropping and gravity defying acrobatics of Sylvester & Nephew. The normally funny Hulbert, younger brother of the more famous Jack Hulbert stretches his schtick out a little too much and was at his best as a foil in the couple of Will Hay films he appeared in.

The film is more of a vehicle featuring British Music Hall talent then it is murder mystery. I'm shocked that someone hasn't done the same for America's got Talent: AGT, A Talent for Murder.

The Dummy Talks may make you consider if the title refers to the "little person" AKA the substitute ventriloquist dummy or Victor Harbord (Claude Hulbert, the ersatz detective. I am going for the later.

Watching the popular stage acts of the time is the best part of this film which makes it a bit of a documentary. Watching the Five Lai Founs spin plates on a stick took me back to my youth in the 1950s when the spinning plate toy was all the rage, second to the Hula Hoop. There are some great popular acts of the period featured including some very watchable acrobats, both serious and comedic.

The plot is pretty standard, ventriloquist star and overall cad Manning Whiley is murdered, and there are a plethora of suspects. After some entertainment from the acts and the bumbling Claude Hulbert, the major suspects are assembled to hear the evidence and most important-to hear the dummy J'Accuse.

Think of this film as more of a Music Hall/Vaudeville piece of history and you will be pleased.

This is a typical backstage musical of the 1940s.However i think that it is of greater interest because of the fact that it features virtually all the main acts shown on the Bill at the beginning of the film.So we start with the Chinese acrobats,work our way through the adagio to the Ivy Benson Band and to Jack Warner.So if you are interested in British music hall of this period then this film is most definitely for you.Having said that you will have to go out of your way to find it.Your best bet being ebay.The plot is one of the typical murder mysteries and is little interest other than the humour extracted out of it by Claude Hulbert.

Lasted a bit too long, on this showing. Even the orchestra is beautiful - the deeply unhip Ivy Benson band. What a waste of talent!

Jack Warner was making the move from music hall and radio comedy to acting. As the great Nancy Banks Smith once said, if you can play comedy, you can play anything.

Beryl Orde is also appealing, but it's not always clear who she is taking off. Her act is embarrassing - but so are most of the others.

Cecil Hulbert is irritating as an upper-class twit, and the music hall performers spend their time backstage in palatial dressing rooms larger than a studio flat.

And yes, there's always something creepy about a ventriloquist's dummy.