Cheer Boys Cheer

Michael Balcon had been partly responsible for the teaming of Marriott and Moffatt with Will Hay when he was head of production at Gaumont British.He now borrowed them along with Nova Pilbeam from Gainsborough who they were contracted to after the collapse of Gaumont British.Despite the fact that the Irish comedian Jimmy O Dea has the main comedy role the duo easily outshine him.You only have to compare their rendering of "Old Obadiah" with O Deas painfully unfunny rendition of Napoleons retreat from Moscow.This was to be the pairs penultimate film together ,there being one more film with Will Hay to come the same year.This is a funny film when they are on screen,less so when O Dea is the focus.Alexander Knox features in a small role as a bookkeeper just a few years before his big break in Wilson.In one strange scene,Edmund Gwenn,head of the rival brewery is shown reading Mein Kampf.What might have gotten a pained laugh then is a rather bizarre interlude.Rarely seen but certainly worth a look.