Elstree Calling

19301930
Not RatedNot Rated
1h 26m

IMDb RATING

5.0/10

469

YOUR RATING

Comedy Musical

A series of nineteen musical and comedy "vaudeville" sketches presented in the form of a live broadcast hosted by Tommy Handley (as himself). There are two "running gags" which connect the s... Read allA series of nineteen musical and comedy "vaudeville" sketches presented in the form of a live broadcast hosted by Tommy Handley (as himself). There are two "running gags" which connect the sketches. In one, an actor wants to perform Shakespeare, but he is continually denied air-t... Read allA series of nineteen musical and comedy "vaudeville" sketches presented in the form of a live broadcast hosted by Tommy Handley (as himself). There are two "running gags" which connect the sketches. In one, an actor wants to perform Shakespeare, but he is continually denied air-time. The other gag has an inventor trying to view the broadcast on television. Four of the... Read all

IMDb RATING

5.0/10

469

YOUR RATING

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Photos10

Jameson Thomas in Elstree Calling (1930)

Cicely Courtneidge in Elstree Calling (1930)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Alfred Hitchcock is credited on-screen with "sketches and other interpolated items". Adrian Brunel, in his autobiography, "Nice Work", described how he originally shot "The Taming of the Shrew" spoof, only to have producer John Maxwell reject it for not being funny enough. Brunel states that Hitchcock was brought in to re-shoot the sketch. Hitchcock is believed to have directed the Gordon Harker sketch, "The Taming of the Shrew" spoof, and the "thriller" sketch with Jameson Thomas.

Alternate versions
Released in the US with the title HELLO EVERYBODY, it was truncated to about half the original running time.

Connections
Featured in Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood (1995)

Soundtracks
My Heart is Saying
Written by Ivor Novello and Jack Strachey
Performed by Helen Burnell and The Adelphi Girls

User reviews17

Review

Featured review

4/10

A Piece of British History

This is interesting as a period piece. It is also of interest to Hitchcock fans.

Rather like the better-known American film King of Jazz, it is a collection of sketches albeit from the British music halls. Alas, this film is not nearly so good.

Sadly the music hall acts do not work so well on film. Will Fyffe, composer of "I Belong to Glasgow" in particular dies the death of a dog in a ditch.

There is a little Russian folk instruments orchestra who are uncredited. They probably only cost the studio ten pounds for the lot, and they may have been the same musicians who accompanied the great bass singer Fyodor Shalyapin on some of his best known records. To me they are the one act who come across well in this film. (Unlike Will Fyffe, balalaikas and domras will hold their own anywhere.) Sadly we may never know their names.

I doubt if the film makers were aware that what they were producing was a time capsule.

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