Jimmy Edwards Movies
British comedian Jimmy Edwards is best known for his work in musical halls, on radio and on television, but he also played in several films in the '40s, '50s and '60s. He got his start just after WW II in the Windmill Theater, London. On television and radio he was usually cast as a burly eccentric and was easily recognized for his distinctive handle-bar mustache. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1970
This feature is basically a silent comedy as the only word spoken is "rhubarb." A Vicar (Harry Secombe) plays golf with the local police inspector (Eric Sykes), with the lawman cheating mercilessly with the help of his constable (Jimmy Edwards). Soon the Vicar calls on help from the Almighty to conjure up a lighting bolt to help his game. Sight gags and pantomime dominate this engaging 37 minute feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Secombe, Eric Sykes, (more)
- 1968
Ghost of a Chance is a whimsical "preservationist" comedy filmed in England. Three young children oppose the destruction of an historical landmark, but their pleas fall on deaf ears. Coming to the rescue is a coterie of friendly ghosts, who stave off the wrecking ball long enough for the authorities to reconsider. Veteran British character actor Graham Stark plays head ghost "Dogood". Ghost of a Chance premiered in the US over the weekly CBS Children's Film Festival in 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this slapstick comedy two bumbling workmen attempt to take a long wooden plank through a London suburb to a building site. Mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Cooper, Eric Sykes, (more)
- 1961
Essentially a one-joke comedy hanging on the thinnest of plots, this routine series of slapstick situations is directed by Don Chaffey and concerns the ineptitude of an Air Force officer, Captain Kingsley (Jimmy Edwards). The likeable Captain has a fixation on mechanical contrivances, but at the same time he is an accident waiting to happen. The wait is never long, and so the Prime Minister himself orders everyone into action when the Captain comes up missing -- who knows what disaster may lie in the wings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Edwards, Kenneth Connor, (more)
- 1960
British comic actor Jimmy Edwards demonstrates his versatility in Bottoms Up by playing a character named Jimmy Edwards. Actually, it's Professor Jim Edwards, doctor of dunderheads. In the tradition of Will Hay, Edwards tries to maintain decorum in the boys' school where he serves as headmaster, but it's a losing battle. The fun really begins when the son of Edwards' bookie enrolls while disguised as a Middle-Eastern potentate. Producer/director Mario Zampi knows where the laughs are and knows how to get them in full measure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Edwards, Arthur Howard, (more)
- 1957
Three Men in a Boat is the second film version of the comic novel by Jerome K. Jerome. The titular trio is played by popular British comedian Jimmy Edwards, up-and-coming leading man Laurence Harvey and stalwart character actor David Tomlinson. Escaping their dull weekday pursuit, the three pals take a pleasure excursion down the Thames in a small boat, encountering all sorts of comic and romantic complications. Jill Ireland makes an early screen appearance as a young lady who briefly bewitches the bookish Harvey. Though dated, Three Men in a Boat was just as capable of eliciting laughter as it had been in its first cinematic incarnation in 1933. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Harvey, Jimmy Edwards, (more)
- 1956
This British sitcom was one of several TV vehicles for mustachioed comedian Jimmy Edwards. On this occasion, the star was billed as Professor James Edwards, the headmaster of Chiselbury School. A stickler for discipline and protocol, Edwards was invariably undermined by his own stupidity. Originally telecast from 1956 to 1960, toting up 60 episodes in the process, Whack-O! was revived for an additional 13 installments in 1971. The series also spawned a theatrical feature, Bottoms Up (1960). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Edwards, Arthur Howard, (more)
- 1953
Innocents in Paris is a series of anecdotes bundled together by geography. First we see the efforts by British diplomat Alastair Sim to loosen up Soviet-agent Peter Illing long enough to forge an economic plan between Russia and England. Then we watch as dotty artist Margaret Rutherford purchases a copy of the Mona Lisa. Next we see British officer Jimmy Edwards go off on a toot in a Parisian bistro. The next vignette involves impressionable Claire Bloom, who is swept off her feet by a local rake (the human variety, not the garden implement). And so it goes for 102 minutes in the British version of Innocents in Paris, and 93 minutes in the American print. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alastair Sim, Ronald Shiner, (more)
- 1952
This comedy is set in an Irish mansion and centers on its enigmatic owner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1950
The tantalizingly titled Mystery at the Burlesque was originally released in England as Murder at the Windmill. It must be explained that, for many years, London's Windmill Theatre was famous for its scantily clad chorus girls and potty-mouthed comedians. Filmed on location at the Windmill, the story gets under way when a corpse is found in the last row of the theater. To reconstruct the crime, the detective inspector (Garry Marsh) insists that the Windmill troupe repeat the same show they'd performed on the night of the murder. The film's high or low point (depending on one's own tastes) occurs when one of the seedy Windmill comedians performs his magnificently unfunny monologue before an audience of one. Featured in the cast as Marsh's assistant is future "Dr. Who" Jon Pertwee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, (more)
- 1949
A persistent case of hiccups causes all sorts of problems for a pretty young socialite in this comedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1948
Like such later American programmers as Rock Around the Clock, the British Trouble in the Air is essentially an excuse to parade popular radio entertainers before the cameras. The plot is but a sliver: When a team of small-town bellringers is picked to perform over the BBC, their village is beseiged by oppotunists, including a gang of toughs. Radio announcer Jimmy Edwards gets wind of the villain's schemes and uses the airwaves to alert the authorities. Trouble in the Air is so dependent upon built-in audience familiarity with its stars that it leaves American audiences at a complete loss. As a time capsule for British radio fans, however, the film is invaluable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
