Who Done It? (1956) User Reviews

Benny Hill P.I.

[TerryMcC · 7/10 · 11 May 2000]

Who Done It? Produced in 1956 stars Benny Hill as member of the chorus in a musical comedy on ice who enters a contest held by a mystery pulp magazine and wins a 100 Pounds & a blood hound. Due to typical Benny Hill high jinks he is fired from his skating job and so decides to get an office and become a privet eye. (would 100 pounds have gone that far even back then?) During his short career he happens on a gang of foreign spies & a scientist who has invented a machine that controls the weather, he also gets a girlfriend, played by the beautiful and tragically short lived Belinda Lee (She would die in an auto crash only five years after this film) who works as a stage strong girl. To be sure much slap follows there after. Who Done It rather reminded me of the sorts of films that Bob Hope or Danny Kaye use to make. With the introduction of the weather controlling device it reminded me a bit of the Avengers television series, only with the mod camp replace by hyperactive Benny Hill corn. I would not call it a practically out-standingly good or bad film. It's just one of those films that if you are in the mood for this sort of movie it's the sort of film that will match that mood.

Silly, none too bright, improbable, but with a laugh or two in it. And where else are you going to see Benny as a detective?

And yes he does end up in drag at one point.

Zany As Only Benny Hill Could Be

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 October 2007]

Benny Hill's big screen debut came in this modest production from Ealing Studios which seems to draw inspiration from Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau and Bob Hope from The Paleface. It's not a remake of Abbott and Costello's Who Done It from the early forties although both films involve Benny in his film and Bud and Lou in their's as newly minted private detectives.

But Benny makes Costello look like Sherlock Holmes. He gets hired to impersonate an Eastern European scientist visiting the United Kingdom, but the idea is to bump Benny off so the scientist can return to his country with a new weather machine which puts climate totally at man's control. Has Al Gore heard about this?

But all kinds of problems arise including the bad guys bumping off the real scientist whom they mistake for Benny. Nothing sophisticated in this film, it's one catastrophe after another for Ben, starting with him wrecking an Ice Capades Show and a chase reminiscent of that other Ealing classic, The Lavender Hill Mob.

Where The Paleface comes in is that Benny has an Amazonian girl friend aiding and abetting him and pulling him out of many scrapes the way Jane Russell did for Bob Hope. In Who Done It the Amazon is Belinda Lee who was definitely built along Jane Russell's measurements. For some reason Ms. Lee had a blond wig on for this film, I suppose so folks would view her as a British Marilyn Monroe.

Special mention must go to Garry Marsh playing the Scotland Yard inspector in the same manner patented later on by Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus of the French Surete. His reaction shots are priceless.

Benny Hill's greatest success was on the small screen first in the United Kingdom and then in America when his shows were syndicated here. Nevertheless Who Done It is definitely a good example of his zany comedy style.

The Dill Detective.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 5 January 2017]

Who Done It? is out of Ealing Studios, directed by Basil Dearden and written by T.E.B. Clarke. It stars Benny Hill, Belinda Lee, David Kossof, Gary Marsh, George Margo, Ernest Thesiger and Denis Shaw. Music is by Philip Green and cinematography by Otto Heller.

Benny Hill's first foray into film has him playing Hugo Dill, an Ice Rink attendant who dreams of one day becoming a detective like those in the magazines he reads. When he wins a competition that sees him land £100 and a Bloodhound! He promptly sets up his own detective agency, which provides colourful chaos...

It came out as Ealing Sudios was entering its last furlong, the great studio's wonderful comedies behind them, this very much feels like a last throw of the dice whilst giving Hill's career a timely push. As it happens, and as we now know, Hill would find his fame and fortune in Television and not on film. This s amiable stuff for those after a bit of slapstick and prat falling. Basically Hill is thrust into a murderous plot involving spies, where he's out of his depth and not aware of what is really going on half the time, which sets it all up for mishaps, misadventures and misunderstandings.

Love interest and muscle foil (seriously) comes via the gorgeous Belinda Lee, sadly to lose her life in a road accident five years later, whilst a number of well known British acting faces are in and around the plot so we can play spot the star. The number of chaotic scenes involving chases and destruction of events and property etc are well played out, with the obligatory speed framing technique showing its face as well, and it builds to a frenetic last quarter of film that culminates at the old West Ham Stadium, a location familiar to Stock Car/Speedway/Greyhound enthusiasts before its closure in 1972. It's a finale that saves the film and rewards those who have stayed with the pic throughout its daft formulaic throes. 6/10

Acceptable comedy

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 21 August 2019]

WHO DONE IT? is mildly notable as the feature film debut of TV comedian Benny Hill, a long way from his latter saucy persona. Here here's a mild-mannered private detective who becomes embroiled in a lot to assassinate distinguished scientists. It's a film made with a typically '50s feel, with sprawling plotting propped up by regular cameos from familiar faces of the era, such as Charles Hawtrey. The comedy is generally acceptable, with a lot of slapstick and material made from exasperated police, although some of it's a bit too shrill for its own good. Belinda Lee steals all her scenes in against-type role.

If you're not a fan of Belinda Lee, forget it!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 15 October 2017]

A Michael Balcon Production. An Ealing Studios Film, never theatrically released in the U.S.A. U.K. release through Rank Film Distributors: 19 March 1956. British Board of Film Censors' Certificate: "Suitable for Universal Exhibition". Australian release through British Empire Films: 25 July 1957. 7,659 feet. 85 minutes. Cut by the distributor to 82 minutes (including "General Exhibition" censorship certificate and B.E.F. logo) in Australia. (Available on a very good Optimum DVD).

SYNOPSIS: Dill (rhymes with Hill) tries his luck as a private eye.

NOTES: Film debut of TV comedian, Benny Hill, and the last comedy produced at Ealing Studios. Ealing, the production company, survived a few more years by transplanting itself to M-G-M's studios at Borehamwood. Ironically, the actual Ealing Studios themselves were taken over by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

COMMENT: The script certainly packs in plenty of promising ideas, but, alas, most of them are not developed for their utmost comic effect. After a wonderfully funny opening in which Dill inadvertently wrecks both an ice show and a police station, the script tries desperately for more laughs. But a lack of writing talent, combined with Basil Dearden's heavy-handed direction, all but stifle any further merriment. Fortunately, one plus factor survives all attempts to smother her spark: — Belinda Lee, whose spirited performance more than saves the day.

Oddly, in its unfairly negative review, The Motion Picture Guide describes Hill as a "popular but utterly sleazy British comic." Popular certainly — at its peak in Britain alone his show enjoyed over twelve million viewers — but sleazy? Impish is surely the right word. MPG must be confusing Hill with some other British comedian. I have a friend, a dear old lady, who's as strait-laced as they come. Spends most of her time in church. Hill is her favorite comedian. Wouldn't miss one of his shows for quids. Benny can do no wrong as far as she's concerned. She thinks he's an absolute riot!

OTHER VIEWS: Plenty of honest, clean fun. — F. Maurice Speed.

Clarke's somewhat desperate script is still sufficiently superior in its situations to make Who Done It? considerably more amusing than any other recent vehicle for a new comedian. — D.H. in the Monthly Film Bulletin.

Appearing for the first time in a full-length feature film, although they have appeared in a number of documentary films — the Dagenham Girl Pipers are seen in a hilarious sequence. In fact, Belinda Lee, who plays the romantic lead, impersonates one of the pipers. In the twenty-five years of their existence the Dagenham Girl Pipers have played to many millions of people. - Ealing publicity.

Who Done It? Who Cares?

[mdm-11 · 4/10 · 31 May 2005]

Benny Hill fans will enjoy this free-for-all nonsense about International espionage and a "secret weapon" developed by stereotypical Eastern-Block scientist. Benny, our likable hero, is a "Inspector Clouseau" type amateur detective, ready to tackle his first assignment: impersonate the famous professor, as part of the secret plan for the bad guys to rule the world.

The story is "formula" and thin as a satin thread, but an extra large helping of "Benny Hill" slap stick, complete with lots of pretty girls and the obligatory Benny-in-drag scenes, make this predictable vehicle hobble along. The final car chase on (are you ready for this?) a race track is totally stupid, but what did you expect? Given the 1950s mentality and the limited budgets available to produce a silly comedy, the objective was met. Today something similar would hope to recoupe it's investments in direct-to-video sales.

An amusing bit of nothing with Belinda Lee

[peterwburrows-70774 · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Benny Hill was a great comic actor later on in his career. In this you can see the potential. With 5 secs of Jess Conrad and much more of Belinda Lee what more can you ask for to while away the time.

Skating on thin ice

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 22 September 2016]

An Ealing spy caper to showcase the talents of Benny Hill who has a dual role. He plays Hugo Dill who gets the chance to be a private detective after he wins some money and a bloodhound in a mystery magazine competition.

Pretty soon Hugo gets caught up in a plot involving a weather changing machine being smuggled out of Britain and him being put up as a ringer for one of the foreign scientists that will set him up to be a fall guy.

He also inadvertently gets help from showgirl Frankie (Belinda Lee) who provides beauty and brawn as she is naturally strong and beats up the henchmen.

As a showcase for Hill, it allows him don various disguises and play up the bumbling fool who causes pandemonium and elicit exasperation from the local police inspector.

This is not one of the best Ealing comedies, it is rarely shown on television. There are some funny scenes such as Frankie knocking out the audience when she bangs a drum. Hill does his best to take advantage of a rare starring role in movies with a persona far removed from his saucy ITV sketch comedies of the 1970s and 1980s.

It was nice to spot several familiar actors such as Irene Handl, Charles Hawtrey and Harold Goodwin but overall this felt like a thin plot that was padded with slapstick.

Benny Hill as Clouseau before Clouseau - but in the private sector

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 19 April 2021]

Frantic, energetic slapstick comedy with spy and sci-fi elements (despite the title, it is NOT a parody of whodunits). Plenty of destruction and mayhem, and Belinda Lee is wonderful as "Strong Girl" Frankie ("men do not like to be dominated by women", she says at one point - I bet if the woman looks like Belinda Lee most men wouldn't mind at all....) **1/2 out of 4.

All Downhill

[malcolmgsw · 3/10 · 27 May 2012]

when this film was made Benny Hill was a rising TV star and Ealing Stucios was about to close down to turn over to BBC TV.It is difficult to believe that T.E.B.Clarke could turn out such an inane unfunny script as this.Maybe they were looking to Hill as a sort of lowbrow Alce Guiness to try and replicate his success in "Kind Hearts And Coronets".There is a very distinguished cast of supporting actors.however even such an expert comedy actor as Garry Marsh is reduced to hamming it up to try and extract laughs from the feeble script.It is interesting to note that this was Hills one and only starring effort in film.In his other films he was part of a supporting cast.Maybe if he had been allowed to write this film it would have been a lot funnier.It couldn't have been worse.

Benny's first film shows off the beginnings of his massive comic talent!

[azcowboysingr · 8/10 · 1 March 2007]

Benny Hill as a bumbling Private Eye? Oh yes, and his first film really shows us the beginnings of his massive comedic talents. While it is obviously a low budget production, the slapstick gags & rapid-fire quips will keep any Benny Hill fan in stitches. This film is also a great addition to any collection of his many fans as it reveals the "Funniest Man Alive" before he became so famous on TV. I bought a used DVD of this movie because it was all I could find available, but that's the nice thing about DVD's...they don't wear out like VHS tapes do. Not a film for people who prefer sophisticated, under-played humor, but if you like the 3 Stooges, Abbot & Costello, or Martin & Lewis, you're going to love "Who Done It?".

Early benny hill, first film role

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 29 January 2024]

On kanopy. The awesome comic benny hill, in his first, full length film role. When hugo gets kicked out of the stage show, he takes any job he can get. And gets mixed up with a group of spies. They hire him to imitate their evil scientist, to demonstrate a machine that can control the weather. And of course, that all goes wrong too. Along the way, he rescues a girl who doesn't need to be rescued. But she's flattered he would go to the trouble. It's mostly pretty light and fluffy. Lots of sight gags, jokes, misunderstandings. Pratfalls. Comedy bits. Co-stars belinda lee as hugo's girlfriend. She made a few more films, but died at twenty five in a car accident, just a few years after this was released. The story is quite silly, and nothing too special. Of course, he needs to dress up in drag, as part of the plot. Historically, it's fun to see a thirty two year old benny hill, years before he starred in his own show. The magic chair scene is right out of the marx brothers, or maybe the three stooges! Directed by basil dearden. He won the bafta for sapphire. Written by tib clarke, who had won his oscar for lavender hill.

A fun romp for fans of Benny Hill

[dogma-53668 · 9/10 · 14 May 2020]

Benny Hill as a private detective Hugo Dill is excellent for what it is. Nothing serious lots of gags, enjoyable on all accounts. Good fare for that type of Comedy out during those latter 50. And if you're a Benny Hill fan just sit back and enjoy the show. Naysayers go away.

Better Than The Majority Of Comedic Films Produced Today.

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 8/10 · 27 October 2020]

My Ratings: Story 1.25: Direction 1.50: Pace 1.75: Acting 1.50: Entertaining 1.75: Total 7.75 out of 10.

I do believe it's a shame that you need to watch old movies to have a good laugh. However, since most of today's humour is puerile rubbish, which is by and large unamusing, then back in time I'll travel. Thank god for the time machine called video.

Hugo is an accident-prone fellow whose luck isn't too great but has a strange way of working in his favour. In this story, we catch him working as an ice-rink sweeper. However, Hugo has dreams above his station. He fantasises about becoming a Private Eye. Today could be the day his luck changes because he's just won first prize, in the monthly detective magazine he reads. A large cash reward and a fully trained bloodhound. Which is lucky, because his bad luck has just cost him his job.

No sooner has he opened the doors of his agency than a woman enters and obtains his services... though it's not to be a detective. Through a series of consequences and mishap, the woman believes Hugo to be a talent agent. Now, the conversation between her and Hugo is beautifully sculptured and written. You know the two are assuming different things. However, the exchange works. This style of chat is a hard thing to create, but T E B Clarke does it so well. What elicits amusement is the juxtaposition between the pair and their parlance. I was chuckling hardily at this scene.

Unfortunately... or fortunately, these misfortunes of happenstance continue and suddenly Hugo finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy to blow up the worlds best scientists... and a misconstrued attempted kidnapping.

ThisWho Done It is a hell of a well-constructed story with lots of humourous twists and turns. But the humour isn't limited to dialogue and situation. No, director Basil Deardon adds more than a splash of slapstick. Of which, the catastrophe on ice and the malfunctioning weather machine were my favourites. Deardon's pacing and timing are perfect for these styles of comedy. Even the way he works the shots and scenes add to the power of the film. These are sublime, and most won't appreciate them. But the part where Hugo, who is impersonating the foreign professor, realises he's in trouble is excellent. It's shot between three rooms. The main room on the left, the hall in the centre, and a secondary lounge to the right. The section is important to drive the comedy, and Deardon nails it. However, he does it so smoothly you don't notice how excellent it is. Because your eyes are glued to the screen, and you're engrossed in the segment.

Not only are the writing and the direction good, but the cast is also great. This is the first time I'd seen Benny Hill in a movie. I'd never thought of him as a movie actor until Talking Pictures aired this film. Now, I'm going to see if there are any others I've missed.

There's nothing wrong with film at all. The only reason I didn't give it higher marks is that it feels dated. It's especially evident in the weather machine. It's funny. And, at the time, the effects would have looked great and more than passible. But, not so now. It's these small things that restrict the ratings.

I'd happily recommend this to everybody. It made me laugh out loud a few times, and that is great. Plus it's a movie for all the family. You don't have to worry if a comedian is going to throw in some inappropriate content just for a cheap laugh.

Please skate on over to my The Game Is Afoot and Just For Laughs lists to see where I've rated this lucky unlucky Private Eye.

Take Care & Stay Well