The Love Match

Some of Askey's 1940s efforts are absolutely dire.It is little surprise when he stopped making films after "Bees In Paradise" which is truly awful.So it is something of a surprise to see how good he is in this film.Mind you he shortly returned to dismal form with "Ransbottom Rides Again".clearly he was very reliant on his material.Glenn Melvyn's screen play is funny and clearly tailor made for Askey.the whole film is very nostalgic with steam engines and views of Burnden Park and The Valley.There are a lot of film of matches which are extremely interesting.There is one notable continuity howler.Askey's son is playing against a team with dark shirts,however in the inert he hi playing against a team in white.A real bonus for lovers of music hall is the scene in the magistrates court with the great Robb Wilton doing part of his famous act.Worh seeing just for that.

As a 10-year old boy, I was taken by my Dad to see "Invaders from Mars" with Leif Ericson. We left talking about the support feature, Arthur Askey in "The Love Match". Typically English and Lancashire to boot, it has soccer and steam trains, what more could a young boy want. A young Shirley Eaton (painted gold in Goldfinger) is a delight despite her over-the-top Lancashire accent and what can I say about Danny Ross, who all but steals the show as Rose Brown's young man (his party-piece is a pratfall with instant recovery - very funny). Arthur Askey is a joy (but then I'm biased) and to see Rob Wilton as the magistrate was the icing on the cake. A gentle comedy that leads me to the timeless cliché 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' and more's the pity.

An absolutely wonderful film.

I was brought up on Arthur Askey and Will Hay films, so I can appreciate the humour. Arthur Askey is my favourite comedian. This has to be one of my favourite films.

The line where Bill says to his wife Sal, 'He'll never make an engine driver, that Wally. His eyes aren't far enough apart to see through the engine windows'. Absolutely priceless!!! The cast is great, with both Arthur and Thora Hird putting in great performances. Also, an hilarious turn from Rob Wilton.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes silliness! Especially of the Askey variety.

(FYI the guy who played Wally, is, apparently, who Ronnie Barker copied his stutter from in Open All Hours)

Arthur Askey and Glenn Melvyn are a pair of football-mad railway men . Askey has misplaced fifty pounds of union money, his daughter Shirley Eaton has a new ballroom dancing partner and boyfriend who's the son of the Manchester United manager, and his son has just gotten a position on United --- problem is Askey is a City fanatic.

It's based on a play that Melvyn wrote -- the leads took seven weeks off from the run to make the movie and it's been opened up nicely for the screen. The problem is that in opening it up, they didn't trim the other parts, so that at 85 minutes, it has a few scenes that seem to lead no place in particular and could well have been cut, despite the wonderful, lightning-fast speed at which everyone babbles the comic Manchester dialogue and takes staccato pratfalls -- Danny Ross, as Eaton's love interest, looks as if all his falls were viciously undercranked.

The Love Match is directed by David Paltenghi and based on a play by Glenn Melvyn who also co-stars with Arthur Askey. Also featuring are Thora Hird, Shirley Eaton, Danny Ross, William Franklyn and Edward Chapman. Arthur Grant is the photographer and Wilfred Burns scores the original music.

After a sequence of events sees him arrested for the assault of a football referee, train driver Bill Brown (Askey) has to use some of the railway man's holiday fund to cover his fine. Desperate for the cash, Bill and his pal Wally (Melvyn) look to run a book on the upcoming United v City football match. But with his daughter Rose (Eaton) trying to win a dancing competition, and his son Arthur (Franklyn) about to make his debut for United, family strife is also taking a hold.

This was the first film that Arthur Askey made after a ten year absence from the big screen. It's typical boisterous fare, filled out with old time jokes and set piece frivolity. The story is a solid one, although it really helps if you are British and understand local football rivalry, while the cast around Askey perform to a high standard. There's some laugh out loud moments, such as one jitterbugging sequence, whilst the appearance of classic steam trains and rail yards carry with it a certain historical charm. All in all it's good harmless comedy fare for those who like Askey and similar British films of this ilk. 6.5/10