I Didn't Do It

This tightly plotted story about how George gets involved in a murder as a suspect and victim is efficiently directed, as one would expect from a farce with Marcel Varnel at the helm. However, George Formby's usual charm is largely absent from this movie. Part of the reason is that some of the plot is put into motion by George's lies. But, the majority of the distaste I have is that George's goal is to be a star on the stage, which he is evidently unfitted for. In other movies his goals are ones he can obviously attain, once given an opportunity: to win an auto race or become a newspaper photographer. Not here: George, in the body of the story, anyway, is blissfully free from talent.

But Varnel's style of story is cut-glass farce: his best work was with Will Hay and the Crazy Gang. George Formby's appeal lay in other directions and although he can carry out standard farce, it's a waste for him to do so, like sitting Frank Sinatra down at a piano and telling him to play. George does get to perform three songs, including one of his better ones, "He Was Such a Daring Young Man." Also giving a good performance is Ian Fleming as an unflappable police inspector, but they can't really make this a good movie.