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.
In his movie debut Hill stars as Hugo Dill, a disillusioned ice show sweeper with an obsession for pulp detective fiction. After winning £100 and, somewhat incredulously, a bloodhound in a detective magazine competition, Dill sets himself up as a private investigator. Much to the chagrin of the local police force. 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 honestly, the sight of a bloodhound wreaking havoc on an ice rink can never fail to make me laugh. 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.
Benny Hill would never again have a leading role in a movie; appearing instead as a guest in large ensemble productions Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (Ken Annakin, 1965), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Ken Hughes, 1968) and The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, 1969). His long running TV series The Benny Hill Show would make him an international star but Who Done It? suggests he would have made an engaging leading man had he pursued that career path.
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 with the added bonus of acting legends Charles Hawtrey, Irene Handl and Arthur Lowe in early uncredited appearances.
Benny Hill would never again have a leading role in a movie; appearing instead as a guest in large ensemble productions Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (Ken Annakin, 1965), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Ken Hughes, 1968) and The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, 1969). His long running TV series The Benny Hill Show would make him an international star but Who Done It? suggests he would have made an engaging leading man had he pursued that career path.
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 with the added bonus of acting legends Charles Hawtrey, Irene Handl and Arthur Lowe in early uncredited appearances.
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