''Jack Ahoy'' is a 1934

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Walter Forde Walter Forde (born Thomas Seymour Woolford, 21 April 1898 – 7 January 1984) was a British actor, screenwriter and Film director, director. Born in Lambeth, south London in 1898, he directed over fifty films between 1919 from the silent era ...

and starring

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, Ca ...

Nancy O'Neil Nancy O'Neil (born Nancy Muriel Smith; 25 August 1907 - 5 March 1995) was an Australian-born British actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional ...

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 ''T ...

and Sam Wilkinson. Its plot follows a humble seaman falls in love with an Admiral's daughter, whilst trying to battle Chinese pirates. The film was loosely remade in 1954 as ''

Up to His Neck ''Up to His Neck'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Ronald Shiner as Jack Carter, Hattie Jacques as Rakiki and Anthony Newley as Tommy. It was shot at Pinewood Studios near London with sets designed by ...

''.

Plot

After failing to pass his entrance exam to

Dartmouth Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

, Jack Ponsonby (Jack Hulbert) enlists as an able seaman. On falling in love with the admiral's daughter Patricia (Nancy O'Neil), Jack stumbles into an adventure involving a den of Chinese river pirates who have stolen a British submarine. Anxious to prove himself a hero in Patricia's eyes, he manages to rescue both the admiral and his daughter, when they are kidnapped by the bandits.

Cast

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "An engaging bit of nonsense, acted to the point of sheer physical exhaustion by Mr. Hulbert and his companions, the picture can be recommended as a refreshing escape from the more serious things of life and the cinema"; and more recently, the ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' gave the film three out of five stars, and wrote, "Hulbert sings The Hat's on the Side of My Head and gets kidnapped by Chinese revolutionaries! There's a nice pace and an easy-going air of geniality brought to this maritime caper by skilled director Walter Forde, and its sheer breeziness is infectious."

References

External links

* 1935 films 1935 comedy films British comedy films Films directed by Walter Forde British black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub