This anarchic comedy about a boys' school is a straightforward imitation of THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIANS (1954) of two years earlier, which was an anarchic comedy about a girls' school. Seasoned veteran Maurice Elvey directed this, with an insouciant lack of concern as to quality, as the whole project was clearly just a lark. The dialogue is riddled throughout with casual jokes based on puns, such as: 'What are the inhabitants of Malta called? Maltesers.' (For those non-British film lovers, who are not familiar with Maltesers, they are little soft balls of chocolate and malt (a roughly spherical malt honeycomb centre coated in milk chocolate, to be precise). They were first created in 1936 and have been wildly popular in Britain, and apparently Denmark, since that time. Whether this proves that many Brits are descended from Danish Vikings from the time of King Cnut is another matter. After all, Brits and Danes also both like beer, and that has malt in it too. And the Brits eat what they call 'Danish pastries', so I think that just about wraps it up. Also, the Brits have been known to watch BORGEN. What more proof is required? Actually, I have forgotten what it was that I was supposed to be proving.) The main actor in this film is the elderly Fred Emney, who plays a highly eccentric, bumbling and very fat headmaster. The wonderful Stanley Unwin, who talked nonsense better than anyone in history apart from Tony Blair, only has a bit part, alas, as I can never hear enough of his superb nonsense, though I heard enough of Blair's to make me sick many times. Ronnie Corbett appears as a schoolboy, which despite the fact that he was already 26, he could get away with because of his diminutive size. Vera Day is the platinum blonde cutie who brings lots of laughs, along with her curvaceous charms, to the story and pretends to 'a dumb blonde', which was the fashion back then in films. The comedy in this film is uproarious farce, with no pretence whatever at subtlety, and one ridiculous situation after another in rapid succession. However, all the humour is very, very British. And these days, with millions of immigrants living in Britain who do not share the traditional British sense of humour in any way, and whose grasp of the language is often insufficient for them to know a pun when they hear one, this kind of film is not really made anymore. It is thus a quaint and jovial relic of bygone days. My wife and I laughed a lot, which perhaps means that we are simpletons. But we think that anything as silly as this film cannot be treated as anything than what it is, an excuse for bad jokes, outrageous pratfalls, broad over-acting, ridiculous situations, and hence a lot of good old English fun. P.S. Oh yes, it is also very corny, so much so that that in itself is yet another joke.
6 Reviews
A cast to die for in old time comedy Brit film.
mikelang4218 October 2011
I am an Old Time Variety writer,see cine variety on google and may be biased,but to answer Malcolm on this site who does not understand the BFI reasons for making a new fantastic print of this rarely seen UK 50s comedy is very simple.The list of comics to be seen,some of whom can't be seen to their advantage due to films lost and who's TV shows were binned by the BBC and ITV. Cardew Robinson (looking like The X Factor's Johnny Robinson)as Cardew the Cad (Radio show Variety Bandbox) in his only major film role,Fred Emney,Davy Kaye,Claude Hulbert, Stanley Unwin,Peter Butterworth,Gerald Campion,Ronnie Corbett,Melvin Hayes, plus UK Boxer Freddie Mills and 50s pop king Johnny Brandon backed by Francis Langford's Singing Scholars and the lovely Vera Day. So what if the jokes grate and the first half sags, but the second half picks up with the school concert and some good songs. The film was shown for the first time on UK TV by Sky Arts. Thank you to them and the BFI for their work. Loved by this old codger.
Why did the BFI chose this title?
malcolmgsw30 January 2011
The BFI have many unseen gems in their archive.Two of them,The Mayors Nest and Give Me A Ring are currently available to view at their Mediatheque on the South Bank.It is therefore a mystery why they should choose this painfully unfunny farce as worthy of a digital remastering and release.It is a very poor imitation of the St Trinian films.Emney even dresses up in drag as of course did Alastair Sim.There is someone dressed as a Teddyboy substitute Freddy Mills for George Cole,and rowdy boys instead of girls and a MOE school inspector.The casting of Freddie Mills should tell you everything about the film.He was a world champion boxer who became a personality.He appeared in some films for a couple of scenes.However in this film he appears in a large role which he simply cannot carry.The script is awful and there is not one laugh in the whole film.whilst it is interesting to see a very young Ronnie Corbett and Gerald Campion who played Billy Bunter on TV this cannot make up for the utter boredom experienced when trying to watch all 80 minutes of this film.Seriously BFI lets have some worthwhile films from the archive instead of this dross.
Life On Mars
Spondonman3 January 2011
I'd been hoping for a good few decades to be able to see this one, finally catching it on UK Sky TV recently - was it worth the wait? A thousand times no! But it's still an interesting film in many ways.
The Headmaster (portly Fred Emney) of rundown British boys' boarding school St. Fanny's has the idea of bribing rich pupil (receding 38 yo Cardew The Cad Robinson) with the aim of saving school from ruin. Sharps and crooks farce it out with masters and pupils – and Cardew must be one of the least caddish characters here. St. Fanny's is played either as Narkover or the Chiselbury of Jimmy Edwards rather than the Greyfriars of Billy Bunter – even though one of the louder pupils is played by TV's Billy Bunter Gerald Campion and his form master Quelch (Kynaston Reeves) is also in here. And Emney wears a check waistcoat reminiscent of Billy Bunter's check trousers in the Knockout comic. The film condition is a surprisingly fine sharp black & white, but the film quality is unsurprisingly unrelentingly slapstick, unswervingly cheap and unwittingly seedy in places. Ever enthusiastic Cardew seemed much too happy to bend over for a caning, even showing a lady what would be required. Maybe it just needed the well-nuanced Jimmy Edwards or Brian Rix to carry it off – I didn't like Emney playing Just William's dad either, although I'd be the first to admit he was a unique larger than life character. Claude Hulbert's penultimate film, while young Ronnie Corbett makes an early appearance.
Unfortunately my trusty rose tinted specs in this case are just not strong enough: I suspect unsuspecting people under 40 who come across this by mistake won't understand anything in it at all. But for those of us who can remember a simpler world it's got some non-heavy broad and flat olde British humour, a few nice hoary schoolboy jokes and is a fairly enjoyable time-passer especially if you flick your brain onto standby. If you don't and you're not a masochist then good luck as you're going to have to kiss these 80 minutes goodbye forever!
The Headmaster (portly Fred Emney) of rundown British boys' boarding school St. Fanny's has the idea of bribing rich pupil (receding 38 yo Cardew The Cad Robinson) with the aim of saving school from ruin. Sharps and crooks farce it out with masters and pupils – and Cardew must be one of the least caddish characters here. St. Fanny's is played either as Narkover or the Chiselbury of Jimmy Edwards rather than the Greyfriars of Billy Bunter – even though one of the louder pupils is played by TV's Billy Bunter Gerald Campion and his form master Quelch (Kynaston Reeves) is also in here. And Emney wears a check waistcoat reminiscent of Billy Bunter's check trousers in the Knockout comic. The film condition is a surprisingly fine sharp black & white, but the film quality is unsurprisingly unrelentingly slapstick, unswervingly cheap and unwittingly seedy in places. Ever enthusiastic Cardew seemed much too happy to bend over for a caning, even showing a lady what would be required. Maybe it just needed the well-nuanced Jimmy Edwards or Brian Rix to carry it off – I didn't like Emney playing Just William's dad either, although I'd be the first to admit he was a unique larger than life character. Claude Hulbert's penultimate film, while young Ronnie Corbett makes an early appearance.
Unfortunately my trusty rose tinted specs in this case are just not strong enough: I suspect unsuspecting people under 40 who come across this by mistake won't understand anything in it at all. But for those of us who can remember a simpler world it's got some non-heavy broad and flat olde British humour, a few nice hoary schoolboy jokes and is a fairly enjoyable time-passer especially if you flick your brain onto standby. If you don't and you're not a masochist then good luck as you're going to have to kiss these 80 minutes goodbye forever!
'Deep Joy indeed!'
Weirdling_Wolf21 July 2021
The little-seen, barely mentioned, frequently surreal, deliciously odd classroom farce 'Fun at St. Fanny's' is deserving of a little more appreciation since it is a consistently breezy, unpretentiously pratfall-filled, deep joy-inducing delirium! Talented film-maker Maurice 'Hindle Wakes' Elvey's frothily low brow, high scamping, belly-burstingly absurd 50s caper is a sublime comedic curio with its noisome music hall japery, groan-inducing puns, bizarre musical interludes provides an amusingly naïve flashback to a far more innocent age, and this unsophisticated, sweet-natured romp is boosted by a winningly eclectic cast, including Fred Emney, Cardew Robinson, Vera Day, Freddie Mills, and an especially mirthsome, tongue-twisting, syllable slurping turn by the exquisitely eccentric comedy actor, and 'Small Faces' narrating legend Stanley Unwin, the boisterous film also features an early appearance by future national treasure Ronnie Corbett, and avid fans of cult 60s television might be interested to hear some early work from iconic composer Edwin 'The Saint' Astley. The irrepressibly silly 'Fun at St. Fanny's' is a refreshingly zesty gag-fest thoroughly deserving of its handsome BFI restoration.
A fine piece of golden age British comedy
agvulp-forums10 March 2021
I'm currently half-way through watching this film and it's quite enjoyable. If you like puns and wordplay with a British twist, then look no further.
The plot carries along at a steady clip, it's obviously well directed and holds my attention. We're basically in a boarding school with an adult pupil that the school wont let go because his family's estate was willed to the school for as long as he's a student there... and a student he will remain. There's also a race horse bookie and a lady crime boss who wants to get their cut, but that's really besides the point. The entire thing is draped in one pun and bad joke after another, after another, peppered with cultural references of the day and locale, yet well spoken. As an American, I can actually understand the majority of what's being said without turning subtitles on, and I can discern most of the jokes from context alone.
So, I'm pleasantly surprised. Give it a go, it's definitely underrated.
It reminds me of a radio play comedy that relies heavily on good writing and dialog, not just silly antics. Dad-jokes abound.
The plot carries along at a steady clip, it's obviously well directed and holds my attention. We're basically in a boarding school with an adult pupil that the school wont let go because his family's estate was willed to the school for as long as he's a student there... and a student he will remain. There's also a race horse bookie and a lady crime boss who wants to get their cut, but that's really besides the point. The entire thing is draped in one pun and bad joke after another, after another, peppered with cultural references of the day and locale, yet well spoken. As an American, I can actually understand the majority of what's being said without turning subtitles on, and I can discern most of the jokes from context alone.
So, I'm pleasantly surprised. Give it a go, it's definitely underrated.
It reminds me of a radio play comedy that relies heavily on good writing and dialog, not just silly antics. Dad-jokes abound.
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