WHO DONE IT? [1956 / 2020] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] The Ealing Studio film that launched the comic genius! WHO DONE IT? turns out to be a potential winner!
Saucy comedy superstar Benny Hill makes his screen-starring debut in one of the last Ealing comedies ever made. Co-starring Belinda Lee as a glamorous showgirl and David Kossoff as a dastardly foreign spy and directed by BAFTA award-winning Basil Dearden ‘WHO DONE IT?’ is presented here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.
A clumsy ice rink sweeper with delusions of grandeur, Hugo Dill fantasises about becoming a private investigator. When he wins both a bloodhound and a sum of money of £100 in a magazine competition, Hugo Dill decides the time is right to change career and fulfil his dream!
FILM FACT: ‘WHO DONE IT?’ was one of the last films shot at Ealing Studios and also one of the last Ealing Studios film distributed by The Rank Organisation. Filming started in September 1955 and took 50 days of which Benny Hill was required for 47. Writer TEB Clarke spent months studying Benny Hill's technique on TV and the halls and created the script to showcase Benny Hill's ability of mimicry. Basil Dearden said of Benny Hill that he was "an inventive chap. Full of suggestions." Benny Hill said, "yes and they're so good that he's turned them all down." Belinda Lee was finishing ‘The Feminine Touch’ while the shooting began on ‘WHO DONE IT?’ It was one of several comedies Belinda Lee made while under contract at The Rank Organisation. ‘WHO DONE IT?’ opened at the New Victoria and Dominion Cinemas in London on the 18th March, 1956 before entering general release.
Cast: Benny Hill, Belinda Lee, David Kossoff, Garry Marsh, George Margo, Ernest Thesiger, Denis Shaw, Frederick Schiller, Jeremy Hawk, Thorley Walters, Philip Stainton, Warwick Ashton, Stratford Johns, Nicholas Phipps, Peter Bull, Gibb McLaughlin, Ernest Jay, Harold Scott, Norah Blaney, Charles Hawtrey, Champion Appeline Hector of West Summerland, Chris Adcock (uncredited), Terence Alexander (uncredited), Jean Alsop (uncredited), Elinor Bennett (uncredited), John Boxer (uncredited), Ronnie Brody (uncredited), Jess Conrad (uncredited), Mabel Etherington (uncredited), Chick Fowles (uncredited), Harold Goodwin (uncredited), Lucy Griffiths (uncredited), Patrick Halpin (uncredited), Irene Handl (uncredited), Jack Hetherington (uncredited), Vincent Holman (uncredited), Glyn Houston (uncredited), Kim Kimber (uncredited), Anthony Lang (uncredited), Guy Longpre (uncredited), Arthur Lowe (uncredited), Fred Machon (uncredited), Louis Matto (uncredited), Robert McDermott (uncredited), Colin McKenzie (uncredited), Lola Morice (uncredited), Paul Phillips (uncredited), Keith Pyott (uncredited), Ernie Rice (uncredited), Arthur Rigby (uncredited), Doris Rogers (uncredited), Pat Ryan (uncredited), Ian Selby (uncredited), Cyril Smith (uncredited), Ewen Solon (uncredited), George Spence (uncredited), Guy Standeven (uncredited), Philip Stewart (uncredited), Fred Stroud (uncredited), Rita Tobin-Weske (uncredited), Meadows White (uncredited), John Wilder (uncredited), George Wilson (uncredited) and Doris Yorke (uncredited)
Director: Basil Dearden
Producers: Michael Balcon (uncredited), Basil Dearden (uncredited) and Michael Relph
Screenplay: T.E.B. Clarke (story/screenplay)
Composer: Philip Green
Cinematography: Otto Heller, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black and White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 82 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: The Rank Organisation / Ealing Studios / Network
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘WHO DONE IT?’ [1956] finds an ice-rink sweeper ditches his career to become a private eye, but soon gets embroiled in a devious plot to assassinate a group of eminent British scientists. Comedy, starring Benny Hill, Belinda Lee, David Kossoff and Gary Marsh.
For those of my generation and slightly older, Benny Hill will always be remembered as a bona fide TV star. Whether or not you enjoyed his slightly saucy comedic style, there’s no denying how massively popular he was in his day.
Benny Hill plays Hugo Dill, a crime-thriller-loving actor who, after winning a writing competition and wins a £100 and a bloodhound, and sets up his own detective agency. With the occasionally-willing help of actress Frankie Mayne [Belinda Lee].
Hugo Dill inadvertently gets involved in a spy ring's plans to smuggle Professor Stumpf [Denis Shaw] and his weather-changing invention out of Britain to Uralia. The spy chief Zacco [David Kossoff] hires Hugo Dill to impersonate the Professor Stumpf, but Hugo Dill's bumbling sends the plans into disarray, leading to an extended chase sequence through a radio show at Earls Court and, finally, into the centre of a stock car race where total mayhem pursues.
Belinda Lee’s character is frustratingly underused: preternaturally strong, like ripping up telephone directories, lifting furniture with one hand. Belinda Lee’s character pretends to be weak around men so they won't be put off by her strength. A strong woman hiding her power would be fertile comic ground for most films, but Belinda Lee is largely reduced to running around after Benny Hill and occasionally punching and throwing the Uralian spies out of windows.
The highlight of the film has little to do with the actual narrative or performances, but does relate to the power of Ealing Studios tendency for using London locations for their filming. It is rare to see an Ealing Studios film that is actually filmed on the streets of Ealing and obviously any set-based work was filmed within the walls of Ealing Studios, but location work ranged throughout London, depending on requirements.
Here, for the first time, I spotted an actual Ealing location and that of Pitshanger Manor and Walpole Park (which are next to the Ealing Studios themselves), and are used for the scene where the Professor Stumpf demonstrates his weather controlling invention. As Sir Walter [Ernest Thesiger] greets the Professor Stumpf (Benny Hill, in disguise), as they walk past the entrance to Pitshanger Manor, then into the Walpole Park itself, where the demonstration takes place.
For the rest, I can see the potential appeal and the use of set pieces, mistaken identity, and physical slapstick and of course the usual chase sequences, but, almost halfway through this Ealing Studios challenge, they are too reminiscent of earlier and better star-driven Ealing Studios comedies.
What was really outstanding for me and the highlight of this top notch British comedy film is near the end of the film all the characters descend onto the Earl’s Court Radio and Television Show and mayhem purses with everyone chasing after everyone else, but one of the funniest scenes is when Benny Hill pretends to be a demonstrator of a special television chair and Irene Handl is a customer who is interested to try it out the new type of super chair, that promotes the item with a sign on the stand saying “Watch your T.V. in Comfort from a VU – EEZIE Chair” and as you can imagine it all goes dramatically and horribly wrong and is a real laugh out loud moment of total hilarity.
The other outstanding moment is the crazy stock racing scene near the end of the film where the police, Benny Hill and Belinda Lee, and of course the two spies all in their vehicles that ends up joining the stock racing cars and total mayhem pursues with them all going in the opposite direction and has some really hilarious moments, especially as they speed up everything that really put a smile on my face and was well worth the wait for what I call this a typical hilarious British crazy madcap comedy end to the film, so enjoy!
The film ‘WHO DONE IT?’ rather reminded me of the sorts of films that Bob Hope or Danny Kaye use to make. With the introduction of the weather controlling device and it reminded me a bit of the Avengers television series, the only difference is the total mayhem that happens when the machine goes completely out of control with the different weather conditions, which is helped greatly by the hyperactive Benny Hill, which really suited this British comic film.
BONUS: What is really great is that they have included the original BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CENSORS Certificate to say “This is to Certify that ‘WHO DONE IT?’ has been Passed for GEERAL EXHIBITION.” So just shows you the Network people really appreciate in giving us what we use to see just before the film started and really adds to the enjoyment of the film.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – The Rank Organisation, Ealing Studios and Network has combined to present us the film ‘WHO DONE IT?’ with a glorious scanned 4K restoration 1080p image. It was produced via a 35mm original negative and restored in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1, and really looks good in high-definition, especially when cinematographer Otto Heller pulls out the stops and makes the Black-and-White image standout with perfection. It's always heart-warming to see a British film of this vintage restored to close to its former glory, and the transfer here certainly has its share of strong points. The contrast is punchy, and while the strong black levels do pull in some of the darker picture information, the mid-range greyscale is most attractively rendered. There's not a dust spot to be seen and the image is rock solid in frame, and the detail is still crisper than you would find even on a high quality DVD. So all in all, Network definitely gets a five star rating for this superb Black-and-White stunning image. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – The Rank Organisation, Ealing Studios and Network has combined to bring us just one standard 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience. The audio is nicely rounded and also gives us a good dynamic range and is also very clear, well-modulated sound with no distortion or age-related surface noise, pops, or crackles and the dialogue from the actors is very clear and you can hear all the actors speaking without any hindrances. Also good is all the stock car chases near the end of the film and you hear all the bumps and crashes that are very audible and no distortion occurs. Also outstanding is Philip Green’s robust and dramatic comedy film music score that really adds ambience to the film that really helps you to enjoy this Benny Hill comedy film even more, so well done Network to really gives the soundtrack a five star performance.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: THE WAITERS [1969] A lavish meal has been prepared. The hostess is ready. The guests arrive, and then the waiters hired especially for the occasion get to work. Benny Hill scripts and stars in a dialogue-free rendition of a posh dinner party ruined by two boorish waiters. Sadly this is not at all funny and in fact it is a total embarrassment, luckily it only features the composed music by Cyril Ornadel and sound effects.
Cast: Benny Hill, David Battley, Arthur Hewlett, Pamela Cundell, James Ottaway, Jan Butlin, Nancy MacKeith and George Fenton
Director: Jan Darnley-Smith
Producer: George H. Brown
Screenplay: Benny Hill
Composer: Cyril Ornadel
Cinematography: Johnny Coquillon, B.S.C.
Image Resolution: 1080p (Colour)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Running Time: 30 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Paramount Pictures / Fanfare Films Ltd.
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Theatrical Trailer [1956] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:39] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘WHO DONE IT?’ and is really great trailer showing some of the hilarious bits of the film, but not enough to spoil the whole plot of the film.
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Special Feature: Image Gallery [1956] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:23] Here we get to view a collection of images relating to the film ‘WHO DONE IT?’ and includes Cinema Posters, ‘WHO DONE IT?’ publicity information, Exhibition Campaign Book, Rare Colour Lobby Cards, Rare Black-and-White Promotional Photographs, and also Promotional Photographs for the film ‘THE WAITERS.’
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Theatrical Trailers: Here we get to view a Double Bill presented by the ABC Cinemas Original Theatrical Trailers for SUNDAY and ALL WEEK and they are as follows: ‘NO KIDDING’ [NO KIDING] [1080p] [1.66:1] and ‘BOTTOMS UP’ [1960] [1080p] [1.66:1]. Running Time: 6 minutes
PLUS: Double sided Blu-ray Cover with a Cinema Poster and four rare colour cinema lobby cards.
BONUS: We get an 8 page printed replica of a ‘WHO DONE IT?’ Exhibitors Campaign Booklet by The Rank Organisation. That includes in-depth information about the film. A Benny Hill ‘WHO DONE IT?’ Ealing Studios cartoon strip. PRESS ADS and POSTERS.
Finally, ‘WHO DONE IT?’ was produced in 1956 for the star Benny Hill as member of the chorus in a musical comedy on ice who enters a contest held by a mystery pulp magazine and wins a 100 Pounds and a blood hound. Garry Marsh is cast as a flustered Scotland Yard inspector, and David Kossoff and George Margo portray a couple of sinister Iron Curtain spies. ‘WHO DONE IT?’ was scripted by T.E.B. Clarke, a mainstay of the droll Ealing comedies of the early 1950s. The film remained unreleased in the U.S.A. until the late 1970s, when it was put on the market to cash in on the international success of “The Benny Hill Show.” It's just one of those films that if you are in the mood for this sort of Ealing Studios comedy film it's the sort of film that will match your mood at the time. Silly at times, totally improbable, but with a laugh or two thrown in for good measure. And where else are you going to see Benny Hill as a detective? Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
