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IMDb > Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)

Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   723 votes
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Down 20% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Marcel Varnel
Writers:
Frank Launder (original story)
J.O.C. Orton (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Oh, Mr. Porter! on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1950 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Comedy more
Plot:
William Porter is working as a lowly wheel tapper on the English Railways until, through the influence of his downtrodden brother-in-law (who happens to be managing director of the railway company), he is offered the position of station master at the isolated station at Buggleskelly in Northern Ireland. Rather a poisoned chalice, as station masters as Buggleskelly have a reputation for going mad and not lasting all that long... Once in Buggleskelly, he hears the story of One-eyed-Joe (the phantom miller), meets his two station hands (the wily Harbottle and good-for-nothing Albert) and somehow has his train stolen by the Phantom Miller... Featuring some of the most inspired lines of pre-war cinema ("next trains gone","I'm their centre forward","If I can't be Gladstone, I'm not playing","You're wasting your time","Everything around here is either too old or won't work - and you're both!"...watch how Porter sniffs and bumbles through life! full summary | add synopsis
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User Comments:
Oh, Mr Porter! more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Will Hay ... William Porter
Moore Marriott ... Jeremiah Harbottle
Graham Moffatt ... Albert Brown
Sebastian Smith ... Charles Trimbletow
Agnes Lauchlan ... Mrs Trimbletow
Percy Walsh ... Superintendent
Dennis Wyndham ... Grogan
Dave O'Toole ... The Postman
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Additional Details

Runtime:
85 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (British Acoustic Film Full Range Recording System)
Certification:
UK:U

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The 'driver's cab view' along the track at the beginning of the film was actually filmed by hanging a camera out of the end of the train, then showing the resulting footage backwards: this is why the train appears to be engaging in 'wrong-track' running throughout this section! more
Quotes:
[William Porter is wheel-tapping a train]
Managing director's wife: You may think me a little stupid but why do they tap them?
William Porter: Well, you see madam, it's like this. If I tap the wheel with this hammer and the wheel goes clang, then I know that the wheel's there.
Managing director: But supposing that the wheel doesn't go clang?
William Porter: Well, then I know that the train's gone!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Brides of Dracula (1960) more

FAQ

Where was Buggleskelly Station in real life?
Where is One Eyed Joe's windmill located?
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37 out of 38 people found the following comment useful:-
Oh, Mr Porter!, 26 January 2005
8/10
Author: stelongbow-1 (stelongbow@hotmail.co.uk) from United Kingdom

'Oh, Mr Porter!' is seen as possible the most popular of the many films made staring Wil Hay. The team of three (Graham Moffat, Moore Marriot and Hay) seem to fit together well leading each other to witty and well perform punchlines that capture the spirit of the early black and white comedy genre. The tale, based on the placement of a lack lustre station manager at a sleepy backwater station in Ireland, is the perfect setting for Hay to act out his famous role as the bumbling but likable head of operations. Assisted by Marriot and Moffat the three find themselves embroiled in a gun running plot and the ghost of the old miller. Great fun and a reflection of an era long gone.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Will Hay's naked scene cut tom-1514
It's on BBC Four next week! twittykins
The lime (beech) trees at Buggleskelly are doing OK kca33
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Comedy section IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

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