Will Hay Movies

Will Hay, he of the pince-nez, outraged sniff, and overall demeanor of dignified incompetence, stars in (and codirects) another of his popular British comedies. In My Learned Friend, Hay is a seedy lawyer, one of several people targeted for death by a vengeful escaped convict. As the criminal's victims pile up, Hay can't help but feel a bit insecure. When he ends up the only survivor on the list, Hay begins to really worry. A slapstick climax on the clock-face of Big Ben caps this rapid-fire comedy of murders. Released in 1943, My Learned Friend was Will Hay's final film; he died of a lingering illness in 1949. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having underestimated Hitler in the 1930s, British propaganda specialists spent the early war years insisting they were prepared for any international contingency. Big Blockade was a morale-boosting film produced in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Welfare. In documentary fashion, the film underlines the importance of the economic blockade which Britain directed against Germany. An all-star cast (Michael Redgrave, Leslie Banks, John Mills, Robert Morley etc.) appears in brief sketches dramatizing the effect of the blockade and the reactions of the British public. While it received good reviews at the time, The Big Blockade quickly fell out of favor once it served its wartime purpose. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When the bagpipes play, death will follow in this spooky comedy set in a dank and creepy Scottish castle during WW II. It begins when a school teacher at a London boy's academy must evacuate his charges to the castle. There they hear the legend of the deadly pipes. Sure enough their mournful call is heard and one of the boys dies. They cry again and another dies. It is in when the pipes are blown a third time that the headmaster solves the mystery: it is not a phantom killing the lads, but a German sympathizer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Matchless British comedy star Will Hay, he of the supercilious sniff and ill-fitting pince-nez, stars in Ask a Policeman, a follow-up to Hay's successful 1938 comedy-thriller Oh, Mr. Porter. Once again, the incompetent Hay is transferred to a place where he'll do the least amount of harm. This time he's an inept police sergeant, shipped away to a sleepy rural village where no crime has occurred for years. Bored out of his gourd, Hay, together with his perennial stooges Graham Moffatt (fat and cheeky) and Moore Marriott (toothless and senile), plots to "create" a crime wave by leaving a keg of brandy unprotected. They plan to arrest the first person who appropriates the keg and charge him with smuggling. Not surprisingly, the gleesome threesome runs afoul of genuine smugglers. As with most of the best Will Hay comedies of the 1930s, Ask a Policeman is top-heavy with behind-the-scenes talent: among the screenwriters were director Val Guest and frequent Hitchcock collaborator Sidney Gilliat. Best bit: Moore Marriot's rambling recitation of an ancient ghost legend. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An "answer" to Paul Robeson's Sanders of the River, Old Bones of the River stars comedian Will Hay as Professor Tibbetts, a member of TWIRP ("Teaching and Welfare Institute for the Reform of Pagans"). Not especially suited to his job of bringing English education to native tribes in Africa -- as he arrives, he is still trying to learn the native language through phonograph record lessons -- Tibbetts quickly falls victim to a trick by a duplicitous native prince, involving sneaking a gin still into the country. Tibbetts makes his way to Kombooli High, where his students wear Eton collars with little else. (Tibbetts makes do with a mortarboard and safari shorts.) Things are proceeding reasonably well when the Commissioner takes ill with malaria, and Tibbetts is forced to take over his responsibilities. He travels upriver to begin his tax collecting chores (goats or rubber being perfectly acceptable in lieu of actual money), meeting two old cronies of his in the process and rescuing a baby from an untimely death by sacrifice. Unfortunately, Tibbetts and his pals make rather a mess of things and manage to roil up tensions that result in a native uprising, but things eventually come out alright in the end. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

The magnificent Will Hay re-creates his vaudeville characterization of a supercilious schoolmaster in Good Morning Boys. Donning pince-nez and academic garb, Hay is cast as Dr. Benjamin Twist, headmaster of a seedy boarding school. Unbeknownst to Twist, an escaped convict has taken up residence in the school, disguised as a rather mature student. Also unbeknownst to Twist, his school is being used as a rendezvous for a gang of art thieves who plan to steal the Mona Lisa. Perennial Will Hay stooge Graham Moffatt plays an overweight undergrad named Albert, but the inimitable, toothless Moore Marriott (aka "Harbottle") is conspicuous by his absence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comedy, a blustery sailor loves to tell whoppers about his abilities and adventures. All the wind leaves his sails when he is asked to show off those talents. The trouble begins when a wealthy yachtsman hires him to take charge of his boat. Unbeknownst to the sailor, the boat is slated to be sabotaged so the owner can collect the insurance. Fortunately, the sailor proves his mettle and saves the day. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

While the Hollywood output of director William "One-Take" Beaudine was largely uninspired, he turned out several first-rate efforts while employed in England in the mid-1930s. Beaudine's Boys Will be Boys stars the inimitable Will Hay, cast in his standard role as a pompous, ineffectual schoolmaster. Upon learning that the father (Gordon Harker) of one of his students is a thief, do-gooder Hay tries to redirect the reprobate towards the Straight and Narrow--and nearly gets pinched as a criminal himself. Hay's perennial comic foils Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott are nowhere to be found in this escapade, but they're not really missed this time around. Star Will Hay co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Edmunds. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Will Hay heads a cast of nearly 40 popular British variety artists in Radio Parade of 1935. The magnificent supercilious Mr. Hay is cast as William Garland, a radio-station manager whose operation is in big financial trouble. Our hero is baled out by Jimmie Clare (Clifford Mollison), head of the station's complaints department, who enlists the aid of his fellow employees to stage a big-time variety show. So grateful is Garland that he consents to the marriage of his daughter Joan (Helen Chandler) and the enterprising Mr. Clare. The film's guest stars may have not meant much to American audiences, but British filmgoers were delighted to see their favorites in action. Filmed in a primitive but eye-pleasing color process, Radio Parade of 1935 represents one of the first directorial efforts of Arthur B. Woods, whose promising career was tragically cut short in the early stage of WW II. In America, the film was released as Radio Follies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi