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Sir Michael Balcon (May 19, 1896 – October 17, 1977), director of production for Gaumont-British. Helped launch Hitchcock’s career, grandfather of Daniel Day-Lewis. Balcon is pictured with Peter Lorre who greeted Balcon as he arrived in Hollywood in search of new talent in 1935.
The Story of British Cinema: The Pioneer Years (Lyndy Saville, 2022).
Michael Balcon was an English film producer known for his leadership of Ealing Studios in west London from 1938 to 1956. Under his direction, the studio became one of the most important British film studios of the day.
Actors John Mills, Charlie Chaplin and producer Michael Balcon, discussing the radio broadcast celebrating Chaplin's 40 years in film, London October 16th 1952.
Whiskey Galore! (1949). Based on the true story of the SS Politician (renamed SS Cabinet Minister in the movie) which ran aground and then sank in 1941.
Dead of Night (1945, Various) Hear our take on the granddaddy of horror anthology flicks in episode 132 “Horror Compilation Album”: https://screamscenepodcast.tumblr.com/post/188548695744/its-six-horror-films-for-the-price-of-one-this
Movie number 68: Who Done It? (Basil Deardon, 1956).
Who Done It? is a late period Ealing comedy starring popular TV comic Benny Hill, directed and written by Ealing stalwarts Basil Deardon and TEB 'Tibby' Clarke, respectively.
Hill stars as Hugo Dill, a disillusioned ice show sweeper with an obsession for pulp detective fiction. After winning £100 in a detective magazine competition Dill sets himself up as a private investigator. He duly becomes entangled with political saboteurs whom he unwittingly aides in an assassination attempt. Meanwhile becoming romantically involved with aspiring showgirl and strongwoman Belinda Lee.
Yes, the plot is ridiculous. But, more importantly, it is funny. It is certainly slapstick of the broadest kind, but those expecting Hill's brand of saucy (some would argue sexist) seaside postcard humour will be disappointed; this is purely innocent stuff and the better for it. Even the burgeoning romance between Hill and Lee is a rather chaste affair.
Basil Dearden was one of the most prolific Ealing directors, although perhaps not the obvious choice for Who Done It? Helmer of the acclaimed dramas The Captive Heart (1946) and The Blue Lamp (1950), he rarely turned his hand to comedy and one would assume it was not his forte but for the excellent League of Gentleman (1960), produced by Ealing head Michael Balcon a year after the studio's demise. 'Tibby' Clarke on the other hand had proved himself an excellent comedy writer as scenarist of the bone fide Ealing classics Hue and Cry (Charles Crichton, 1947) Passport to Pimlico (Henry Cornelius, 1949) and The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton, 1951). Who Done It? doesn't rank among Clarke's best work but is nonetheless highly acceptable second tier work from a screenwriter who rarely wrote a bad script.
Who Done It? in no way represents the best of the Ealing Studios, yet neither is it the failure that its relative obscurity would suggest. It is well worth seeking out, especially for fans of vintage British cinema. Read an unedited version of this review and reviews of other classic Ealing Studios films on my new blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com
Peter Lorre was there to greet Michael E. Balcon, director of production for Gaumont-British, when the latter arrived in Hollywood in search of new talent for his company in 1935.
