''This'll Make You Whistle'' is a 1936 British

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

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

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

and starring Jack Buchanan,

Elsie Randolph Elsie Randolph (9 December 1904 – 15 October 1982) was an English actress, singer and dancer. Randolph was born and died in London. She is best remembered for her partnership with Jack Buchanan in several stage and film musicals. She also a ...

and William Kendall. The film was based on the stage musical of the same title which Buchanan had starred in.

Synopsis

A man-about-town accidentally finds himself engaged to two women at the same time, the horse-mad Laura and the sweet-natured Joan who is dominated by her disapproving mother. His attempts to convince the guardian of the former that he is completely unsuited to marriage, while trying to persuade the mother of the latter that he is, are further complicated by the behaviour of his two friends and the appearance of an attractive life model named Bobbie Rivers. Further confusion ensues when the action shifts from London to the French resort of

Le Touquet Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (, Picard language, Picard: ''Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache''), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a Communes of France, commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, northern France. ...

Cast

* Jack Buchanan as Bill Hoppings *

as Bobbie Rivers * Jean Gillie as Joan Longhurst * William Kendall as Reggie Benson * David Hutcheson as Archie Codrington * Maidie Hope as Mrs. Longhurst * Anthony Holles as Sebastian Venables * Marjorie Brooks as Laura Buxton * Bunty Payne as Betty * Miki Hood as Clarice * Scott Harrold as Gendarme * Irene Vere as Mrs. Crimp * Frederick Burtwell as Hotel Manager

Stage production

The musical was first performed on stage at Southsea in December 1935, before a long run at the Palace Theatre and then Daly's in London's West End. The cast included Jack Buchanan as Bill Hoppings, Jean Gillie as Joan Longhurst, Sylvia Leslie as Laura Buxton, Maidie Hope as Mrs Longhurst,

as Bobbie Rivers, Diana Lonsdale as Betty, Irene Vere as Mrs Crimp, Jill Ricarde as Clarice, and Eunice Crowther as Dora. In Australia, the show was known as ''The Melody of London''.

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote, "It isn't enough that Mars is attacking; England has just exploded a hot-air bomb in the immediate vicinity of the Fifty-fifth Street Playhouse. "This'll Make You Whistle" was the tag on it. We're whistling all right—one of those barely audible sounds made by pursing the lips and exhaling. Herbert Wilcox, who should have known better, launched the projectile, first charging it with people like Jack Buchanan, Elsie Randolph and Antony Holles and detonating it with a slow-burning musical comedy plot about a man with one fiancée too many. Typical line: "You're the bigamist fool in London." Typical scene: Mr. Buchanan and a pal, disguised as bearded gendarmes, being chased by twenty bearded gendarmes. Typical reaction; Ouch!"

References

External links

* 1936 films British musical comedy films 1936 musical comedy films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Herbert Wilcox Films set in London Films set in France British black-and-white films Films shot at British International Pictures Studios 1930s British films English-language musical comedy films {{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub