Gangway

I thought that maybe ninety minutes would be a bit long for this, but the presence of Alastair Sim's quirky and curious "Taggett" onboard the ship helps keep this quite entertaining. "Pat" (Jessie Matthews) wants to flee the routine job of a junior movie critic and travel to America where she thinks the real journalists live. Her luck is in when her boss sends her, undercover, on a trip as a lady's maid to attend on a travelling, and rather snobbish, actress (Olive Blakeney). Meantime, jobbing policeman "Bob" (Barry MacKay) discovers that he's inherited a country pile and has absolutely no way of keeping it up! His boss takes pity on him and charges him with investigating a robbery at a swanky London hotel. Soon he is on the trail of "Sparkle" and the onboard antics-cum-romance start to kick in as confusion reigns and the search for the stolen $1m gem becomes muddled with mistaken identity amidst the constant quizzing of "Taggett" who's after the jewel - or it's thief - for the insurers. It all sounds a bit messy but the confines of the ship and a bit of chemistry between Matthews and MacKay help keep it moving along fitfully, but still quite entertainingly. Matthews was a proficient singer and dancer, and she turns out a couple of jolly numbers along the way but it's really the pithy writing that helps this stand out. Some quick-witted one liners that are riddled with sarcasm and irony and frequently raise a smile. The humour is much more subtle with everyone from the police to the acting profession and the landed gentry all coming in for a whack before a bullet-ridden denouement. It's probably not a film you'll remember, but it is quite enjoyable to watch.

When a reporter is accused of theft she becomes a maid to the wealthy. But when she later needs to convince them that she is in fact a reporter they don't believer her, and she's in a sticky situation with underhanded elements. Some decent songs and a predictable, silly story with OK acting. Worth watching if you like these old slapstick movies.

Unless you're a grumpy, cynical old grouch with no sense of fun, you'll find yourself smiling all the way through this wonderfully silly romantic comedy. It's silly but not annoyingly stupid like some 30s comedies are. So many comedies from the late 30s are either childish slapstick, loud and irritating, Joan Blondell doing the exact same tiresome film over and over again or so "sophisticated" that they're not remotely amusing. This isn't laugh out loud stuff but it's genuinely amusing and proper enjoyable fun.

And talking of Joan Blondell, this is the one where Jessie Matthews gets to do her 'best' gangster's moll impression when she gets tangled up with a bunch of gangsters in New York. New York in a Gaumont-British comedy is of course entirely populated by gangsters, hard-boiled dames and dopey cops! The scenes over there are nuts! She is such a good comedian - definitely not just a pretty face (although she is of course an extremely pretty face!)

Like Jessie Matthews's previous picture, HEAD OVER HEELS this was horribly and unfairly panned by the critics at the time but that was primarily to do with criticisms of Sonnie Hale's direction. By this time the once mighty but now bankrupt Gaumont-British had already sold its main studio, lost its head of production and also its acclaimed director, Victor Saville. Jessie's husband, Sonnie Hale was therefore left to fill the director's chair. Since Saville was so respected, this impertinent upstart was not going to win over any fans in the industry. However I personally can't find too much fault at all with his work. He channels his inner Lubitsch admirably and gives this a lovely warm charming feel. If only they could have got James Stewart it would have been perfect!

This picture is however a massive, massive improvement over HEAD OVER HEELS (which actually wasn't too bad). Don't know where they got their funding from but this looks a real classy big budget production. Despite the nightmare of production problems, despite it being made in a rented space of the their rival's studio you could easily imagine this was made by someone like Paramount across the pond. It's a lovely little picture and such fun!

Gangway is a hilarious British comedy, crime, romance and slight musical and satire, with a great cast. The satire is so subtle at first that it's not even paid attention to in the film's promo or reviews. It builds slowly behind the general comedy, romance and intrigue, until it splashes out into the open at the end. But the clue of what's in store is right up front in the newspaper offices of the Daily Journal.

That's where Pat Wayne, associate movie critic, dreams of being an American newspaper woman in the "real" world of journalism. She and office boy, Joe, know all about that from the American movies. That's where everything exciting happens - so much to report on, not like England where nothing exciting ever happens. Well, before long, Pat will be on her way to America and up to her neck in excitement, after her boss gives her an assignment to go under cover as maid for a famous American movie star. His intention isn't much different than is the ethos of the American press of the day - manipulation for sensationalism.

Meanwhile, across London town, young Inspector Bob Deering of the "New" Scotland Yard, has his heart set on catching the "big one." In this case, it's a fish in Scotland as he's about to go on vacation . But, his plans are shelved when the Assistant Commissioner calls him into his office. Bob's solicitor, Smithers, is there to congratulate him on being the new Lord Darmister. Now he can't afford to leave the police force because of the added cost of keeping up the dilapidated family estate. So, the assistant commissioner gives him the task of finding and arresting the infamous international jewel thief, Sparkle. All that's known is that she's a master of disguise from her acting background. She's reported as being at the posh Ambassador hotel.

So, Deering is off to catch a crook, but instead catches a case of romance for a fugitive from the law. She happened to be a reporter on an undercover job, whose paper disavowed any knowledge of her. She was accused of trying to steal a necklace while working as a maid; and while hiding to flee the cops, she inadvertently became a stowaway aboard a ship to America.

Well, if all of that isn't enough to tweak one's interest in this film, the cast should clinch it. Jessies Matthews is Pat Wayne, Barry MacKay is Bob Deering, and Alastair Sim and Nat Pendleton head a supporting cast that will provide many laughs. Sim is an insurance detective, Taggett, on the trail of Sparkle. And, Pendleton is Smiles Hogan, a tough crook sent by big boss, Mike Otterman, to make sure Sparkle arrives safely in New York. She's got a deal to help him steal a million-dollar necklace.

The plot is superb with a wonderful screenplay. Pat gets more "excitement" than she could hope for. Bob and Detective Taggett get their man, er, woman, and Smiles gets off the hook by having to do one last job. One has to see the film for that, and the laughs up to the end will be worth it. While the film is billed as a musical also, Matthews has just a couple songs and dance numbers, and MacKay one short tune.

Two hilarious shoot-out scene are the icing of the satires. Except for a couple of broken glass panes and spotlights, nary a bullet hits any of the card tables or crooks in the first one, and no one can hit Pat in the second one. Hundreds of rounds are fired and no one hits anyone or any anything else. It's quite funny.

I think the Brits must have had a lot of fun making this picture. Some of the big Hollywood studios had facilities in England, and both English and American comedies had been made that poked fun at the English upper crust. But this may have been the first English film that poked some fun at the American scene with its gangster films. Curiously, this movie had its premiere in New York in August of 1937, and didn't open in England until January 1938.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Scotland Yard friend, "When you left Oxford, the university's loss was Scotland Yard's - loss." Bob Deering, "Just Oxford's gift to the criminal classes."

Bob Deering, "What belter disguise for a crook than to be a film star. Nobody'd ever suspect them of anything - except bad acting."

Assistant Commissioner Sir Brian Moore, "Don't be a fool, Deering. It's not often a policeman comes into big money - without an official enquiry."

Pat Wayne, "That's the life, Joe. You know you're alive there. Working for a newspaper means something real." Joe, "Sure. Nothing ever happens in England. Those birds in America have all the fun. Gangsters." Pat, "Riots!" Joe, "Fires." Pat, "Earthquakes." Joe, "Revolutions." Pat, "Floods." Joe, "Stick-ups." Pat, "Murders." Joe, "Gee, what a swell country to live in."

Pat Wayne, "But, chief, I can't be a lady's maid." Daily Journal editor, "You won't be. She's no lady."

Nedda Beaumont, " I see you served Lady Pendragon." Pat Wayne, looking at her reference letter, "Oh, yes, I ... I did, didn't I?"

Pat Wayne, "I'm doing my best, madam." Nedda Beaumont, "Who care about your best. It's my best that counts."

Assistant Commissioner, "You're a policeman. You're not supposed to like anyone."

Bob Deering, "I don't think you're a crook after all." Pat Wayne, "Stop talking shop." Bob, "Who's talking shop? I'm making love to you."

Bob Deering, "I'll resign from the force and have the captain marry us." Pat Wayne, "No, I can't let you marry a crime wave."

Smiles, "Watch out for Sparkle, now. We gotta hand her over in one piece, if we can."

Pat Wayne, "You're going the wrong way. That's where the shooting is." Smiles Hogan, "Cut the clownin', c'mon."

I'm always seeking films of dancers in order to review their styles. I had read about Jessie Matthews, and this was my first opportunity to see one of her films.

For those of you who don't know her work, she's sort of the girl- next-door type. She has a pronounced, cute overbite, and her front teeth are so prominent, that you almost think she has buck teeth. Her singing voice has a light vibrato, not unlike many female singers of the 1930s. She was reportedly a prolific and popular recording artist in England, and her voice is pleasant enough for musical comedy.

Nicknamed "The Dancing Divinity", she can definitely dance. Her style of tap dancing is somewhat like that of Ruby Keeler--the buck and wing style--which is dated now, but was current at the time this film was made. In addition, she performs a "freestyle" type of dance, similar to what we saw Rita Hayworth do--twirling and swirling lots of chiffon.

The musical score is not particularly memorable, but then there are a lot of 1930s musicals that fall into that category.

You'll recognize co-star Barry Mackay from the 1938 version of The Christmas Carol, where he played Scrooge's nephew Fred. Also co-star Alistair Sim, who played Scrooge in the 1951 English version of the same story, has a comic bit part making big eyes. Here's a man whom you could say has "Bette Davis eyes".

I've now seen all six of the musicals starring Jessie Matthews. This one is worth a look if you enjoy her work. This film can be obtained on VHS.