In the US, Will Hay is pretty much an unknown comic. I only heard about him recently when I downloaded some public domain films--and I have since downloaded as many of Hays' movies as I could find. Otherwise, you won't find his films on Netflix or your corner video store. So, if you want to see his films here in America, follow the download links on IMDb.
Most every Hay film I have seen is pretty much the same formula. Hay is a ne'er-do-well who has bit bottom. Yet, through a series of events that seem to fall into his lap, by the time the film is over, he's a hero. This isn't really a complaint--as many comedians' films of the day followed similar formulas.
In this case, Hay plays a lawyer who is incompetent and hasn't a single client. Not surprisingly, he has creditors at every corner. What is a surprise is that he has a daughter--one that lives with his brother-in-law who is raising her as a genteel lady. The daughter has no idea her father is a loser--and the family helps Hay keep up the illusion that he's a successful business man. However, this ruse becomes almost impossible to maintain when Hay gets an honest to goodness client, as the client is completely dis-honest and hires Hay just to use his office to commit a bank heist. There is a lot more to the film than this, but it's filled with the usual humor and wit you'd expect from a Hay film. Clever and worth seeing.
Most every Hay film I have seen is pretty much the same formula. Hay is a ne'er-do-well who has bit bottom. Yet, through a series of events that seem to fall into his lap, by the time the film is over, he's a hero. This isn't really a complaint--as many comedians' films of the day followed similar formulas.
In this case, Hay plays a lawyer who is incompetent and hasn't a single client. Not surprisingly, he has creditors at every corner. What is a surprise is that he has a daughter--one that lives with his brother-in-law who is raising her as a genteel lady. The daughter has no idea her father is a loser--and the family helps Hay keep up the illusion that he's a successful business man. However, this ruse becomes almost impossible to maintain when Hay gets an honest to goodness client, as the client is completely dis-honest and hires Hay just to use his office to commit a bank heist. There is a lot more to the film than this, but it's filled with the usual humor and wit you'd expect from a Hay film. Clever and worth seeing.