Hold My Hand (1938) User Reviews

Nice old farce with plenty of Stanley Lupino hijinks.

[yrussell · 8/10 · 12 March 2021]

This is good fun for Stanley Lupino fans. It's got his typical mix of romantic comedy, rambunctious wordplay, goofy shenanigans, and Lupino pulling funny faces. In this film, he's paired with the rotund character actor Fred Emney (who looks like a posh British Oliver Hardy) as they stumble from situation to situation. The plot involves the attempt to save a failing newspaper, but we're really just here to watch the silliness.

An Oliver Hardy lookalike finds his Stanley.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 1 May 2023]

This is a silly British musical filled with light hearted moments galore and all the archetypes of Hollywood musicals, equally as glamorous but not necessarily for all movie musical fans. Leading lady Sally Gray has a high pitched soprano singing voice that some viewers might find as shrill, and Stanley Lupino (pop of the more well known Ida) is more character actor than leading man. But he had a lengthy career as a British stage and screen star, so it's obvious that his personality like other British stars of the time (Arthur Askey, Tommy Trinder) is more music hall than Ziegfeld Follies. It's a weekend gathering at the home of aristocrats Fred Emney and Bertha Belmore (think a less frazzled Margaret Dumont type), and Lupino is desperate to keep his newspaper afloat. He schemes with Emney to "borrow" Bertha's jewels.

Triple chinned Emney gets genuine laughs simply by his resemblance to Oliver Hardy, but is genuinely funny on his own. Fans of the Noel Gay musical "Me & My Girl" (a hit on both coasts in the 1980's) will be thrilled by the inclusion of the title song, and I had an instant goosebump just by the opening melody. Belmore would go onto Broadway success, appearing in comedy and musical roles, and is a delight with her imperious delivery that hides a lighter side. A pleasant way to pass 75 minutes, not ground breaking or original (and having far too many characters), but enjoyable with some genuine funny moments and good songs if you can tolerate Gray's voice in large doses.

Facebouk's,unoriginal musical

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 19 March 2017]

This film starts on a comic high which it doesn't sustain.At a fancy dress party Fred Emney is dressed like a chicken.Stanley Lupino is the star of this musical,which like many British musicals is based on a play.So there is a fair lack of originality.Illino plays a businessman who has invested and lost his money in a newspaper.So he goes to great length to find alternative sources of investment to keep the paper going.He goes to the newspaper to try and save the papers and matters are tied up in a neat way.There is a funny scene in the office where everything falls to bits.The best musical number is Hold my hand.The film ends with a truly bizarre musical number set in an iron foundry.Filmed as if you were sitting in the stalls.Compare this against any contemporary Hollywood musical and it comes off second best.