Those Were the Days is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Will Hay, Iris Hoey, and John Mills. It was based on Arthur Wing Pinero's 1885 farce The Magistrate and was the first of two Hay movies based on Pinero's plays, the other being Dandy Dick. The film also features music hall acts of the time[1] – acts of a type rarely committed to film. It is primarily remembered as Will Hay's first major screen role.[2]
| Those Were the Days | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Thomas Bentley |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | The Magistrate by Arthur Wing Pinero |
| Produced by | Walter C. Mycroft |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Otto Kanturek |
| Edited by | Edward B. Jarvis |
| Music by | Idris Lewis |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Wardour Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film was produced and released by British International Pictures and was shot at the company's Elstree Studios. The film's sets were designed by the art director Duncan Sutherland.
Plot summary
editThe strait-laced magistrate Brutus Poskett (Will Hay) is concerned that his wife (Iris Hoey) may be older than he believes her to be, especially since his young stepson (John Mills) seems very precocious for an apparently fifteen-year-old boy.
Mrs Poskett tries to stop an impending visit from her first husband's friend (Claud Allister), who knows her true age, by confronting him at a local music hall. However, unbeknown to her, Poskett has also been persuaded to go to the music hall with his "adolescent" stepson and, in an ensuing melée Poskett's wife and her sister are arrested.
The following day, Poskett sentences both to seven days imprisonment, failing to recognise them as they are heavily veiled.
Cast
edit- Will Hay as Magistrate Brutus Poskett
- Iris Hoey as Agatha Poskett
- Angela Baddeley as Charlotte
- Claud Allister as Capt. Horace Vale
- George Graves as Col. Alexander Lukyn
- John Mills as Bobby
- Jane Carr as Minnie Taylor
- Marguerite Allan as Eve Douglas
- H. F. Maltby as Mr. Bullamy
- Laurence Hanray as Wormington
- Syd Crossley as Wyke
- Wally Patch as Insp. Briggs
- Jimmy Godden as Pat Maloney
References
edit- ^ The film features the music hall acts of Lily Morris, Harry Bedford, the gymnasts Gaston & Andree, Sam Curtis and Frank Boston & Betty, together with a blackface performer erroneously claimed to be G. H. Elliott.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Hay, Will (1888-1949) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
External links
edit- Those Were the Days at IMDb
- Those Were the Days at BritMovie (archived)
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