The Love Match

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.

Arthur Askey was a major British television star from the 1950s onwards but still found time to star in a number of good solid comedies. Most of his best work was during the Second World War but Love Match must also rank as one of his best films. Askey and friend Wally (Glenn Melvyn) drive a steam locomotive for a living but his real passion is football and in particular his local team United. The plot starts here and manages to pack in a lot; an argument with the referee (Franklyn) at a match; an appearance before the magistrate (a lovely Rob Wilton cameo) his daughter (Eaton) in a dance contest, her romance with Alfie Hall (Ross), his son (Kenney) getting the chance to play professionally - but for City, shock at meeting the new lodger (Franklyn again) and various dodges to replace some stolen holiday money - all in 85 minutes!

The script based on a play by Melvyn gives plenty of opportunity for the talented cast to shine. In particular Danny Ross stands out - a fine comedian, in the Lancashire tradition of the gormless simpleton, he seems to have made far too few films. This is the only one I have seen so far. His main legacy seems to have been appearing as the same Alf Hall character in the long running radio show 'The Clitheroe Kid' (1958-1972). Still worth hearing if you get the chance.

i first saw this movie many years ago when British television used to show afternoon matinées.it is one of those movies that is once watched it is hard to forget. So many wonderful scenes, most famous probably being Danny Ross's unbeatable pratfall.The cast is a virtual who's who of the British music hall. apart from the legendary Arthur Askey, you have the aforementioned Danny Ross, the wonderful Glenn Melvyn (Who incidentally gave Ronnie Barker his first break in television,who in turn based his shopkeeper Arkwright from Open All Hours on Melvyn's Stage act).

Who can forget the ever reliable Thora Hird and Patricia Hayes. There was also a young Shirley Eaton 8 years before she turned up covered in gold paint in Goldfinger.There was also William Franklyn (remember him from TVs Masterspy),Edward Chapman who would later be famous as Mr Grimsdale in many a Norman Wisdom Film. Another famous music hall star was Robb Wilton who played the judge who Askey helps fill in his football coupon.Incidentally there was 2 spin off TV series from this classic Love and kisses in 1955 and I'm not bothered in 1956. Wouldn't it be wonderful if British TV started to repeat shows like this or at least release them on D.V.D.

As a child of 6 or 7 years I found all of Arthur Askey's 1950's films hilarious, this one in particular as it contained the following gag:

Alf Hall is Rose Brown's dimwitted boy friend. When he knocks on the Brown's front door for the very first time Bill Brown opens it and all Alf can do is splutter out his name "Alf 'all, Alf 'all." Bill's reply is "Don't worry I'll catch you."

That little scene has stayed in my mind for more than forty years!

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