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Will Hay's fourth film, and the first of the ten films in his golden period
with Gainsborough Studios, introduced to the screen his popular characterisation
of the schoolmaster. Hay had made his professional debut in 1909 and, with a
series of sketches the crafty and irascible head of the fictitious St Michael's,
became one of variety's top-drawer acts for over 25 years.
An avid reader of J.B. Morton's 'Beachcomber' column in the Daily Express, Hay
enjoyed the escapades of Dr Smart-Allick of Narkover School. He based the film's
original storyline around the Narkover stories, peppering the script with gags
intended for the St Michael's act. Hay later said that Morton attended several
meetings to help with the plot. Morton, however, recalled meeting Hay only once
and denied any involvement in the production. After script meetings with
American director, Hay's character, Smart, ended up closer to his stage creation
than to Morton's original.
The film set the template for Hay's cinematic character of the seedy
incompetent, conning his way into positions of authority. A stickler for detail,
Hay shaved his head daily rather than wear a scratch wig, performed his own
stunts (including being dragged along behind a taxi) and roughed it up with his
fellow rugby players for the film's finale, injuring his shoulder in the
process.
Leaving no place for subtlety, the gags come thick and fast, especially in
the classroom, with the 'How High is a Chinaman?' routine, originally intended for
Hay's stage act. The thin plot centres on the missing necklace of Lady Dorking,
played with flirtatious grandeur by Norma Varden. The supporting cast are top
notch, especially a dim-witted Claude Dampier and a cunningly crooked Gordon
Harker.
Beaudine keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, culminating in a superbly
shot rugby match (unfamiliar with the rules, Beaudine was advised by BBC
commentator Captain Wakeham). The rugby match contains one sequence worthy of
Sam Peckinpah: as Smart attempts to regain his footing he is shot in slow
motion, showcasing a balletic and agile Will Hay.
Bizarrely for a comedy poking harmless fun at the English public school
system, the censors issued the film with an 'A' certificate, out of concern that
the horseplay of the celluloid juveniles might spill over into the lives of real
schoolchildren.
Graham Rinaldi
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1. A bogus letter (4:07)
