Back-Room Boy (1942)

A lowly BBC employee pulls a prank at the studio and finds himself transferred to an isolated island where he is to set up a weather station at a lighthouse. As if in a fantasy, a ship ... See full summary »

Director:

Herbert Mason

Writers:

J.O.C. Orton (original story and screenplay), Val Guest (original story and screenplay),

Stars:

Arthur Askey, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Arthur Askey	...	Arthur Pilbeam
Moore Marriott	...	Jerry
Graham Moffatt	...	Albert
Googie Withers	...	Bobbie
Vera Frances	...	Jane
Joyce Howard	...	Betty
John Salew	...	Steve Mason
George Merritt	...	Uncle

Storyline

A lowly BBC employee pulls a prank at the studio and finds himself transferred to an isolated island where he is to set up a weather station at a lighthouse. As if in a fantasy, a ship carrying a bevy of beautiful models is shipwrecked off the coast and the models wind up on the island. However, when the models begin disappearing, the "back-room boy" investigates and finds a sinister scheme involving spies and Nazi battleships.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | lighthouse | spy | glamour models | shipwreck | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 1942 (UK)

Also Known As:

Mannekängerna som försvann

Filming Locations:

Gaumont-British Studios, Lime Grove, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gainsborough Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Filth and the Fury (2000)

User Reviews

A most enjoyable propaganda film

Unlike the excellent review by GARY170459, I am not that familiar with Arthur Askey's films--they just aren't shown here in the states. I've seen a couple but am far from knowledgeable about him and his films. I did also recognize Moore Marriott as I'd seen him in a few films, including "Gasbags"--one of several Crazy Gang films. Both were particularly good, though Askey was clearly the star and Marriott was just there for support.

The film is a WWII propaganda piece made in the UK for local consumption. It's a very amiable comedy that both entertains and helped get the public behind the war effort.

It begins with Askey breaking up with his girlfriend and he is sick of women. He arranges to be transferred to a job manning a lighthouse in the middle of no where off the Scottish coast, but far from being isolated, people keep dropping in--even though he's 40 miles off the coast! It's pretty funny to see him getting frustrated with this and the film then gets tangled up in a German plot--though you'll just need to see the film yourself to find out what's in store.

The film is very entertaining and it's nice to see a tale set in a lighthouse that is worth seeing, as the last film I saw with a similar setting was "Sh! The Octopus (1937)"--a terrible little film with little to recommend it.