Laugh It Off

This film was shown last night at the NFT as part of the current Tommy Trinder season.It is a boot camp comedy of the type that became common in the War.This film was made only 7 weeks after the declaration of the war on September 3rd 1939.However apart from an extract from Chamberlains speech there are no topical references and gags.Within a few months most comedies would have constant references to the Nazis and Hitler. In this film Trinder is in a Blackpool show when he is called up.Enroute to camp he meets his Sergeant Major in civvies and has a bust up with him.When he arrives at camp all the usual rookie escapades ensue. Trinder is asked to put on a show and this comprises the bulk of the later part of the film, The problem with Trinder is that like other stand up comics of his era he finds it very difficult to adapt to the demands of the screen.So not even an astute director such as John Baxter can make him in any way appealing.His delivery is pretty monotonous and it has to be said that he really at 70 years on is not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.The show at the end is not that great and in fact the whole film is redolent of an end of pier show.More a period piece than an entertainment.

Lassie from Lancashire Peggy Browne gets into uniform as a colonel's daughter working as his secretary for this very early contribution to the war effort directed on a shoestring with far more grace than it deserves by John Baxter on behalf of British International Pictures. Tommy Trinder rolls his eyes as an entertainer as usual called 'Tommy' who enlists to do his bit, and has the usual hilarious adventures with a truculent sergeant major, peeling potatoes, falling into a water trough and so on; while his sweetheart played by glamourous blonde Jean Colin is supposedly transformed into a frump simply by putting on spectacles.

At the patriotic finale presided over by Geraldo and his Orchestra in Regency dress (the enormous audience enthusiastically applauding obviously library footage) the chic Vesta Tilley outfit in which Miss Colin performs reminds us that at this stage in the war the makers still had the last one in mind; and Trinder momentarily breaches the fourth wall by looking straight into the camera in closeup and inviting the audience to join in. Wally Patch meanwhile reveals a pleasant singing voice (assuming that's his voice) serenading matronly cafe proprietor Ida Barr backed by a chorus line including a young John Laurie (already in uniform when the Home Guard hadn't even been formed yet).