''It's a Boy'' is a 1933 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Tim Whelan Tim Whelan (November 2, 1893 – August 12, 1957) was an American film director, writer, producer and actor, best remembered for his writing credits on Harold Lloyd and Harry Langdon comedies, and for directing mostly British films, such as ''Th ...

and starring Leslie Henson, Albert Burdon and

Edward Everett Horton Edward Everett Horton, Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor and comedian. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. Early life Horton was born March 18 ...

. It is a

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...

about a blackmailer who attempts to demand money from a young woman on the brink of marriage. It was based on the 1931 play ''It's a Boy'' by Austin Melford, an English adaption of the 1926 play ''Hurra, ein Junge'' by Franz Arnold and Ernst Bach.Wood, Linda. ''British Films, 1927-1939''.

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

, 1986. p. 78. with sets designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Alex Vetchinsky Alex Vetchinsky ( Alec Hyman Vetchinsky; 9 November 1904 – 4 March 1980) was a BAFTA nominated British film art director and production designer. He worked on more than a hundred productions during a career that lasted between 1928 and 1974. Ve ...

Plot

On the eve of his society wedding, Dudley Leake and his best man James Skippett get drunk at his bachelor party. While in his cups Dudley confides to his friend about a brief fling he had with a woman just before the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in August 1914. The following morning they oversleep and are late for their wedding. While they are dressing themselves Joe Piper, a young man with a strong Northern accent, appears at the flat and claims to be Dudley's illegitimate son from his pre-war tryst. The two men reject his claim, and leave him in the care of Allister the butler and hurry off to the wedding only to discover they have arrived too late. The ceremony has been postponed as the bride's family have gone. They hurry round to the Bogle household to try and justify their behaviour to Mary Bogle and her stern father. Rather than explain about being drunk, they claim they were called to an urgent business meeting and spend the rest of the day trying to produce a famous author "John Tempest" who they claim will provide them with an

alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...

about their late arrival. Allister the butler, meanwhile, has been unable to prevent Joe Piper discovering about the wedding and he also heads to the Bogle household and begins demanding large sums of money from Dudley in exchange for keeping quiet about their relationship. Skippett then persuades Joe Piper to pretend to be Tempest unaware that in real life she is actually a woman, and one of the bride's guests at the wedding. They slowly dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole, and the Bogles prepare to leave for a holiday in

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

. Eventually, after both Piper and Skippett have dressed up as women and pretended to be Tempest, the Bogles agree that Dudley can marry her daughter only for Piper to reveal to them that he was Dudley's "love child" when he is not paid the

blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...

money he demands. The wedding is saved, however, when a police inspector arrives and reveals that Piper's real father is not Dudley but rather Mr Bogle who had also had a fling with his mother in 1914.

Cast

* Leslie Henson as James Skippett * Albert Burdon as Joe Piper *

as Dudley Leake *

Heather Thatcher Heather Thatcher (3 September 1896 – 15 January 1987) was an English actress in theatre and films. Career Dance By 1922, Thatcher was a dancer. She was especially noted for her interpretation of an Egyptian harem dance. Her exotic clothes wer ...

as Anita Gunn *

Alfred Drayton Alfred Drayton (1 November 1881 – 26 April 1949) was a British stage and film actor. Drayton worked in a brewery when he was 18 but having a good deal of amateur dramatics experience decided to go on stage. His first appearance on stage was '' ...

as Eustace Bogle *

Robertson Hare John Robertson Hare, Order of the British Empire, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the p ...

as Allister *

Wendy Barrie Wendy Barrie (born Marguerite Wendy Jenkins; 18 April 1912 – 2 February 1978) was a British-American film and television actress. Early life Although sometimes stated to have been born in London, other sources, including Barrie herself, ...

as Mary Bogle *

Helen Haye Helen Haye (born Helen Hay, 28 August 1874 – 1 September 1957) was a British stage and film actress.
New York Times. 3 Septem ...

as Mrs. Bogle * Joyce Kirby as Lillian, the Maid *

Finlay Currie William Finlay Currie (20 January 1878 – 9 May 1968) was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television.McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. pp. 175-176; He rec ...

as Publisher *J.H. Roberts as Registrar

References

External links

* {{Gainsborough Pictures British comedy films 1933 comedy films Films directed by Tim Whelan Films produced by Michael Balcon British films based on plays British remakes of German films Gainsborough Pictures films Films set in London Islington Studios films British black-and-white films Films with screenplays by John Paddy Carstairs 1930s British films Films scored by Louis Levy 1930s English-language films Films based on works by Franz Arnold Films based on works by Ernst Bach

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links