Gasbags

Gasbags
Opening title
Directed by
Written by
Produced byEdward Black
Starring
CinematographyArthur Crabtree
Edited byR. E. Dearing
Music byLouis Levy
Production
company
Distributed byGeneral Film Distributors
Release date
  • 1 February 1941 (1941-02-01)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Gasbags is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and Marcel Varnel and starring The Crazy Gang and Moore Marriott.[1][2] It was written by Marriott Edgar and Val Guest. The film was a morale-booster in the early part of the Second World War.[3]

Plot

The Crazy Gang's mobile fish and chip shop is tethered to a barrage balloon which lifts the shop into the air and the gang is carried to Nazi Germany. They are captured but break out of prison, impersonate Adolf Hitler and return to England in a stolen secret weapon.

Cast

Production

It was shot at the Lime Grove Studios in London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alex Vetchinsky. It was the fourth and final film starring the comedians at Gainsborough Pictures.[4] Flanagan and Allen subsequently moved to British National where they made a further four films over the next few years.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "An amusing and effective production with so much nonsense by "the Kings of Nonsense" that perhaps "a crazy film" would more aptly describe Gasbags. Moore Marriott gives a beautifully crazy performance as old Jerry and the rest of the cast should be congratulated on keeping its countenance."[5]

TV Guide called it "An exhilarating comedy."[6]

The Radio Times called it "the best film ever made by the Crazy Gang ... Director Marcel Varnel has just the right surreal touch to make it work and leave audiences laughing."[3]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "good", writing: "Crazy is the word."[7]

Soundtrack

Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen, "Yesterday's Dreams" (written by Michael Carr and Dorothy Day)

References

  1. ^ "Gasbags". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Gasbags (1941)". Archived from the original on 2 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Gasbags – review - cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (1 December 2024). "Forgotten British Film Moguls: Ted Black". Filmink. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Gasbags". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 7 (73): 181. 1 January 1940 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ "Gasbags - TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018.
  7. ^ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 211. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.