I Thank You (film)
Encyclopedia
I Thank You is a 1941 British
comedy film
directed by Marcel Varnel
and starring Arthur Askey
, Richard Murdoch
, Graham Moffatt
and Moore Marriott
. It was produced by Edward Black
at Gainsborough Pictures
.
during World War II
at the time of the Blitz
. The leads are a couple of out of work variety entertainers who use great ingenuity in their efforts to get financial assistance to "put on a show". Hoping to put their proposal to the formidable Lady Randall, ex-music hall star Lily Morris
, they infiltrate her house in the guise of a servant (Murdoch) and cook (Askey - in drag). After some farcical interludes, they achieve their aim after Lady Randall is persuaded to sing an old music hall
standard "Waiting at the Church" at an impromptu show located underground at Aldwych tube station
, - used during wartime as an underground bomb shelter. As the ex-music hall star, Lily Morris plays herself. The title of the film is Arthur Askey's famous catch-phrase. Also in the film is elderly comic actor Moore Marriott
who plays Lady Randall's somewhat eccentric father and the somewhat ubiquitous 'Albert' (Graham Moffatt
) who appears under that name in the comedy films of both Will Hay
and Arthur Askey.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Marcel Varnel
Marcel Varnel
Marcel Varnel was a film director. He was born Marcel Hyacinthe le Bozec in Paris, France.Varnel started his working life on the Paris stage but soon became a director of musical comedies. In 1925 he moved to New York working as director in several Broadway operettas, musicals and dramas for the...
and starring Arthur Askey
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...
, Richard Murdoch
Richard Murdoch
Richard Bernard Murdoch was a British comedic radio, film and television performer.Richard Bernard Murdoch attended Charterhouse School. He then appeared in Footlights whilst a student at Pembroke College, Cambridge...
, Graham Moffatt
Graham Moffatt
Graham Moffatt was a British character actor and comedian.Born in Hammersmith, London, he is best known for a number of films where he appeared with Will Hay and Moore Marriott as 'Albert': an insolent, overweight, overgrown-schoolboy type character, loosely reminiscent of Billy Bunter.His first...
and Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott was a British character actor most notable for a series of films he made with Will Hay in the 1930s.-Career:...
. It was produced by Edward Black
Edward Black (producer)
Edward Black was an English film producer.-Partial filmography:* Oh, Mr Porter! * Good Morning, Boys * Doctor Syn * Convict 99 * The Lady Vanishes...
at Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
.
Plot summary
The film is set in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the time of the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. The leads are a couple of out of work variety entertainers who use great ingenuity in their efforts to get financial assistance to "put on a show". Hoping to put their proposal to the formidable Lady Randall, ex-music hall star Lily Morris
Lily Morris
Lily Morris , born Lilles Mary Crosby, was an English music hall performer, who specialized in comedic singing....
, they infiltrate her house in the guise of a servant (Murdoch) and cook (Askey - in drag). After some farcical interludes, they achieve their aim after Lady Randall is persuaded to sing an old music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
standard "Waiting at the Church" at an impromptu show located underground at Aldwych tube station
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
, - used during wartime as an underground bomb shelter. As the ex-music hall star, Lily Morris plays herself. The title of the film is Arthur Askey's famous catch-phrase. Also in the film is elderly comic actor Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott
Moore Marriott was a British character actor most notable for a series of films he made with Will Hay in the 1930s.-Career:...
who plays Lady Randall's somewhat eccentric father and the somewhat ubiquitous 'Albert' (Graham Moffatt
Graham Moffatt
Graham Moffatt was a British character actor and comedian.Born in Hammersmith, London, he is best known for a number of films where he appeared with Will Hay and Moore Marriott as 'Albert': an insolent, overweight, overgrown-schoolboy type character, loosely reminiscent of Billy Bunter.His first...
) who appears under that name in the comedy films of both Will Hay
Will Hay
William Thomson "Will" Hay was an English comedian, actor, film director and amateur astronomer.-Early life:He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in north east England, to William R...
and Arthur Askey.
Cast
- Arthur AskeyArthur AskeyArthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...
as Arthur - Richard MurdochRichard MurdochRichard Bernard Murdoch was a British comedic radio, film and television performer.Richard Bernard Murdoch attended Charterhouse School. He then appeared in Footlights whilst a student at Pembroke College, Cambridge...
as Stinker - Lily MorrisLily MorrisLily Morris , born Lilles Mary Crosby, was an English music hall performer, who specialized in comedic singing....
as Lady Randall - Moore MarriottMoore MarriottMoore Marriott was a British character actor most notable for a series of films he made with Will Hay in the 1930s.-Career:...
as Pop Bennett - Graham MoffattGraham MoffattGraham Moffatt was a British character actor and comedian.Born in Hammersmith, London, he is best known for a number of films where he appeared with Will Hay and Moore Marriott as 'Albert': an insolent, overweight, overgrown-schoolboy type character, loosely reminiscent of Billy Bunter.His first...
as Albert Brown - Peter GawthornePeter GawthornePeter Gawthorne was an Irish actor, probably best known for his roles in Will Hay films. Gawthorne was one of Britain's most called-upon bit part actors during the 1940s and 50s....
as Dr. Pope - Kathleen HarrisonKathleen HarrisonKathleen Harrison was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs. Huggett in a trio of British post-war comedies about a working class family's misadventures. To modern viewers she is better remembered as Mrs...
as Cook - Felix AylmerFelix AylmerSir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones, OBE was an English stage actor who also appeared in the cinema and on television.-Early life and career:...
as Henry Potter - Cameron HallCameron Hall (actor)-Selected filmography:* The Lilac Domino * Adventure's End * Yes, Madam? * Neutral Port * Spellbound * I Thank You * My Brother Jonathan * Man on the Run * Madeleine...
as Lomas - Wally PatchWally PatchWally Patch was a British character actor, who had supporting roles in many films. He was born Walter Sidney Vinnicombe in Willesden, London on 26 September 1888...
as Bill - Roberta Huby as Bobbie
- Noel Dainton as Police Sergeant
- Phyllis Morris as Miss Pizer
- Charlie Forsythe as Himself
- Addie Seamon - Herself
- Eleanor Farrell - Herself
- Issy BonnIssy BonnIssy Bonn was a British Jewish actor, singer and comedian, most famous for his recording of My Yiddishe Momme. He also appeared in two films, I Thank You in 1941 and Discoveries in 1939, where he played Mr. Schwitzer. He played on BBC Radio music shows, and in music halls before retiring to become...
Soundtrack
- Arthur Askey - "Hello to the Sun" (Written by Noel Gay and Frank EytonFrank EytonFrank Eyton was an English popular music lyricist best known for co-writing the lyrics of Johnny Green's "Body and Soul" with Edward Heyman and Robert Sour....
) - Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch - "Half of Everything Is Yours" (Written by Noel Gay and Frank Eyton)
- Eleanor Farrell - "Oh Johnny, Teach Me to Dance" (Written by Noel Gay and Frank Eyton)
- Charlie Forsythe - "Let's Get Hold of Hitler" (Written by Noel Gay and Frank Eyton)
- Lily Morris - "Waiting at the Church" (Written by Fred W. Leigh and Henry E. Pether)