very WILL done. (Will Hay - Ask A Policeman (DVD))

Member Name: Maximus-Qualitus

Product:	Will Hay - Ask A Policeman (DVD)
Date:	10/08/08 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb film

Disadvantages: None

Will hay - Ask a Policeman.
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This film stars Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt.

All 3 together making this a cracking film.

Introduction:
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In the sleepy hamlet of Turnround Bottom is the old watch tower which is now the headquarters of the local police station.

Synopsis:
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The film starts with a live radio broadcast where, police sergeant dudfoot is being interviewed regarding the remarkable fact that there has been no recorded crime in the village in 10 years 5 months and 4 days, in fact since he took over the police station, 10 years 5 months and 4 days ago.

The next day a letter arrives from the local chief constable who wonders if the station is necessary and proposes to close it down.

Dudfoot and his constables Albert and harbottle, set about "faking" some criminal activity to save their jobs, setting up a speed trap to catch motorists. A driver who argues with them is knocked out and taken back to the station, where it is discovered that he is the chief constable. When he awakes he is angry and confused and eventually the chief constable departs.

Later a man in sailor's hat cons the policemen into allowing him to hang a light on top of the old watch tower.
Just then Albert's girlfriend is terrified by the apparition of a flaming hearse and a headless horseman.
The chief constable telephones with information that real smuggling is actually going on with the aid of a light hanging on top of the police station!

The hopeless Bobbies go to harbottle's bedridden father!! He points them to the caves below the cliff, where they find dozens of kegs of booze and a tunnel leading up to their cellar of the police station!
As they attempt to contact the chief constable, the squire captures them and reveals that he is the head of the smuggling ring, handcuffs them together and locks them up in the police station cell

They manage to escape and get their police car to give chase, after the squire who is leaving with a lorry full of tax free contraband.
Believing that it is dudfoot, Albert and harbottle who have been carrying out the smuggling, the chief constable is hot on their tail.
They follow the lorry onto a racetrack and eventually crash into the lorry.
The chief constable arrives and well, it all ends in the usual farcical madness which was typical of films of this era.

Opinions:
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Will hay sometimes used the theme in his films of involving spooky goings on tied in with sneaky crooks.
Just as the villains in oh, Mr Porter! Exploited the local legend of 1 eyed Joe (I have previously reviewed this) to keep people away, so the smugglers here play on the myth of a headless horseman to frighten people away.

This is a superb old comedy with subtle humour and wonderful gentle slapstick.
When will was along side his 2 cohorts Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt
The films just had more spark and dynamism.

A film you will enjoy.

DVD features:
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Format:Black & White
Language:English
No of discs:1
Classification:U
Region:Region 2
Run time:75 minutes
Made in: 1939

There are no extras with this DVD, just chapter selection but the quality is perfect.

Greg.

Summary: ONE OF HIS BEST MOVIES