THE GOOSE STEPS OUT [1942 / 2017] [75th Anniversary Edition] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Classic British Ealing Studios Comedy Film! Newly Digitally Restored!
Comedy legend WILL HAY stars as Mr. William Potts, a hapless, clumsy schoolteacher, who just happens to be an identical body double for a notorious German Nazi general. When the army is made aware of this uncanny resemblance to the German, who they are currently holding prisoner, they decide to drop the reluctant Mr. William Potts behind enemy lines.
Mr. William Potts deadly mission is to find and retrieve information on a secret weapon that the Germans are planning to use. But whilst impersonating the Nazi general, Mr. William Potts manages to infiltrate the college of Hitler Youth. Mr. William Potts also manages to make a big impression on the students who are being trained as spies and are learning how to fit into British society. Luckily Mr. William Potts is at hand to give them lots of handy hints in honour of the war effort!
‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a brand new 75th Anniversary Edition of the classic Will Hay comedy that comes to Blu-ray for the first time courtesy of STUDIOCANAL. Available fully uncut for the first time here in the UK, this Vintage Classics release has been restored and offers an array of exciting bonus content for Will Hay fans including a new interview with his biographer Graham Rinaldi. Co-directed by the much-loved slapstick comedian, this Second World War comedy favourite was also the directorial debut from soon to be Ealing Studios regular Basil Dearden.
FILM FACT: Basil Dearden directed and supplied all the expertise that Hay probably lacked. Barry Morse who played Kurt had a slightly different take on the directorial responsibilities. “Basil Dearden was largely concerned with purely technical things, angles, lenses, lighting details. He didn't have a very active part; it seemed to me, in the actual performance directing. That was something which Will Hay had a certain amount to do with.” ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is also noted as the film debut of a young Peter Ustinov.
Cast: Will Hay, Charles Hawtrey, Peter Croft, Barry Morse, Peter Ustinov, Anne Firth, Frank Pettingell, Leslie Harcourt, Julien Mitchell, Jeremy Hawk, Raymond Lovell, Aubrey Mallalieu, John Williams, Lawrence O'Madden, John Boxer (uncredited), Clifford Buckton (uncredited), Arthur Denton (uncredited), Leslie Dwyer (uncredited), Richard George (uncredited), Walter Gotell (uncredited), William Hartnell (uncredited), Bryan Herbert (uncredited), Vincent Holman (uncredited), Charles Paton (uncredited), Lloyd Pearson (uncredited), Johnnie Schofield (uncredited), Harry Terry (uncredited), Jack Vyvyan (uncredited) and H. Victor Weske (uncredited)
Directors: Basil Dearden and Will Hay
Producers: Michael Balcon and S.C. Balcon
Screenplay: Bernard Miles (based on an idea), Reg Groves (based on an idea), Angus MacPhail (screenplay) and John Dighton (screenplay)
Composer: Bretton Byrd
Cinematography: Ernest Palmer (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 75 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Ealing Studios / STUDIOCANAL
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ [1942] has now been restored and released to mark its 75th Anniversary Edition and has scrubbed up really well and looks like it was filmed in the 21st century and the verbal dexterity Will Hay cheeky tongue in cheek humour stands the test of time a lot better than you might expect. By 1942, when this film was released, comic actor Will Hay was at the height of his powers, and having made big box office hits with the likes of the classic British film ‘Oh, Mr Porter.’ Watching ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is easy to see why this was a piece of propaganda used to cheer up people in the United Kingdom during World War Two. With the fact that this film was released in 1942 also allows for some very impressive satire, and Will Hay word play that works very well even to this day.
Mr. William Pots [Will Hay], a bumbling teacher who turns out to be the double of a German general and is sent to Germany to impersonate the general and steal a new bomb the Nazis are working on, and he finds himself having to teach a group of students how to spy on the British. Most of the fun pokes at the language the different way the German characters interpreted English words. A good example of this is when Will Hay tries to teach the German students how to say the names of United Kingdom counties and cities. This is the kind of humour that does not date and is totally hilarious, especially for the older generation watching this film.
While there is a lot of word play, this doesn’t mean that we do not see some slapstick humour in process. This includes a very good scene in which Will Hay has to steal the Nazi bomb. The fact that he manages to mess it up is secondary to his attempt to infiltrate the lab where it is held, and to escape with it. The comedy is very well thought out and again, it is a style of comedy that never ages or goes out of style. This is what makes ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ so much fun to watch.
While Will Hay does tend to dominate the screen with his performance there are some other impressive names in the cast. This includes Peter Ustinov, and a young Charles Hawtrey is my main experience of his films in the Carry On comedy films in which of course he is much older and it is interesting to see him so young, especially for a fan of the films that came so many years after this.
This classic Black-and-White 1942, gives the look and feel of a pure classic British comedy, that is to say the jokes are good and the pace moves along a frantic pace. This all makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience, without any lulls in proceedings. The music has that classic British war/comedy feel that is simply the perfect accompaniment to the on screen fun. All the actors really suit the period and is done extremely well.
Backed up by an outstanding cast with the likes of Peter Ustinov and Charles Hawtrey the film flows along nicely. In fact Charles Hawtrey who plays a trainee German spy is in fact the stand out performer behind Will Hay and his inclusion in the film takes the film up a notch or two. Similarly to Will Hay really seems to have a natural talent for delivering his comedic lines effortlessly whilst perfectly matching the films tone.
From start to finish ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a thoroughly enjoyable film. Will Hay’s style of comedy comes across as effortless and is pretty much perfect. Backed up with a great support cast, and if you have never seen this little gem of a film before it is a must purchase. So in short if you are looking for a fun easy going film you should definitely take a look at Ealing Studio’s film ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT,’ especially in its newly restored form really does enhance the overall enjoyment. For Will Hay fans or maybe lovers of classic British comedy then this newly released Blu-ray version of ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a must have for any film collection.
Blu-ray Image Quality – STUDIOCANAL has once again done a brilliant job of giving us a totally outstanding 1080p black-and-white prestige image presentation and the 1.37:1 aspect ratio suites the film really well and the restoration is 100% perfect for a film released in 1942 and making this a real visual treat. Generally I would say, depth and clarity are very pleasing. The majority of the close-ups, in particular, look very good. During the outdoor footage, shadow definition is also very convincing. Contrast levels are very stable. A slight light grain is present throughout the entire film that is not inherently flawed. There are no visible traces of problematic sharpening corrections or serious transition stability issues to report. To sum it all up, STUDIOCANAL have done a stunning restoration. 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 – STUDIOCANAL brings us a superb 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio presentation and again for a 1942 film, the audio is without any hiss or scratches and I bet it is a better audio experience that what the 1942 audiences heard at the cinema. The Ealing Studio’s film ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT,’ is accompanied by the brilliant British-Gaumont film composer Bretton Byrd’s dynamic score. The sound once again is very crisp and clear, plus there are no sudden drop outs in the dynamic activity of the film and predictably, the dynamic sounds are very good. As always all the usual clicks, pops, crackle, and background hiss you had with these old films, especially with the inferior DVD release, have been totally removed and the dialogue is stable and exceptionally easy to follow. So well done STUDIOCANAL for doing a really professional job once again.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Interview with Graham Rinaldi [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1] [21:12] Here we find Graham Rinaldi, who is the biographer for Will Hay, being interviewed in a private screening room and talking in-depth about the life and times of the British comedy genius Will Hay, who was born William Thomson Hay (6th December, 1888 – 18th April, 1949. Will Hay was born at 23 Durham Street in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, to William Robert Hay (1851 – 1920) and his wife, Elizabeth (1859 – 1910), Will Hay also had a brother and three sisters, and at an early stage in his life all eventually moved to Suffolk, which is an East Anglian county in England. Will Hay worked with Gainsborough Pictures from 1935 to 1940 with different directors, during which time he developed a partnership with Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott, and the films he appeared in were ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ [1935]; ‘Windbag the Sailor’[1936]; ‘Oh, Mr. Porter!’ [1937]; ‘Convict 99’ [1938]; ‘Old Bones of the River’ [1938]; ‘Ask a Policeman’ [1939] and ‘Where's That Fire?’ [1940]. Will Hay left Gainsborough Pictures and began working with Ealing Studios in 1940, and worked in close collaboration with Claude Hulbert and Charles Hawtrey acted as his sidekicks in his first film ‘The Ghost of St Michael's’ [1941]. In the Second World War, Will Hay appeared in several British War Propaganda films that included ‘The Big Blockade’ [1942]; ‘Go To Blazes’ [1942]; ‘The Ghost of St. Michael’s’ [1941] and ‘The Black Sheep of Whitehall’ [1942], and some were produced by Michael Balcon. When Will Hay became ill, he did half-hour weekly Will Hay Programme began in August 1944, and was broadcast live from the BBC Paris Theatre on lower Regent Street in London, but only lasted four months. Aside from Will Hay’s day job as a comedian, he was a dedicated and respected amateur astronomer and constructed a personal observatory in his garden in Mill Hill and also built a glider in 1909 and got his pilot’s licence and was a passionate aviator, and gave flying lessons to Amy Johnson. In 1946 while on holiday, Will Hay suffered a stroke which left the right side of his body crippled and also affected his speech, and were told by his doctors that he would in all likelihood only make a partial recovery and following his stroke and spent time in South Africa on the advice of his doctors due to the climate. Will Hay sadly passed away at his flat in Chelsea, London after a further stroke on 18th April, 1949 and is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery, London and made his last public appearance on Good Friday 1949, just three days earlier, those who were present at Will Hay's final appearance described him as showing no sign of illness and said he discussed his plans for the future, but of course all his plans were thwarted and probably preferred to go the way his did, in a blaze of glory. But of course Will Hay’s legacy, will of course be his comedy films, and has been described as subversive and are often characterised as exhibiting traits of Anti-authoritarianism and having a satirical approach towards how authority figures are portrayed, this is notable with Hay himself, as he often played an incompetent authority figure who struggled not to be found out, but whose idiocy was discovered by those around him. British comedian Roy Hudd defined Will Hay as the “supreme master” of sketch comedy. So ends a very nice instructive and in-depth look at Will Hay that was a very well thought out special feature by Graham Rinaldi.
Special Feature: Go To Blazes [Will Hay Short] [1942] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:08] ‘Go To Blazes’ is a short 1942 British information film, produced by The Ministry of Information, directed by Walter Forde and starring Will Hay, Thora Hird and Muriel George. When an incendiary bomb strikes Will Hay’s house during the Blitz, Will Hay fusses so ineptly with his extinguishing equipment that the bomb burns through all the floors of the house and obligingly falls into a bucket of water in the basement. When a second bomb strikes, his daughter shows him how to do the job properly. ‘Go To Blazes’ is usually credited to Walter Forde, but always denied it, and it may actually have been directed by Will Hay himself, or by his occasional directing partner Basil Dearden. Cast: Will Hay (Father), Thora Hird (Elsie) and Muriel George (Mother). Directed by Walter Forde. Produced by Michael Balcon. Written by Angus MacPhail and Diana Morgan. Cinematography by Ernest Palmer.
Special Feature: BBC Radio 3 The Essay: British Film Comedians: Episode 1: Will Hay [Audio Feature Presented by Simon Heffer] [2015] [1080p] [1.37:1] [113:28] Here we have another chance to hear the columnist and historian Simon Heffer's Essays celebrating comic film actors of early British film. Simon Heffer informs us that Will Hay, by popular consent was for him the greatest British comic actor in the films of the 1930s and 1940s. With films such as ‘Oh! Mr Porter,’ ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ and ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT,’ Will Hay was, by popular consent, the greatest comic actor in British Comedy films of the 1930s and 1940s. Simon Heffer traces the rise to fame of this music hall star, who became best known for his anti-authoritarian roles, whether playing a policeman, a fireman, a stationmaster, a barrister, a professor, or perhaps most famously, an incompetent and morally dubious schoolmaster. This is a very informative and enjoyable audio commentary presentation and Simon Heffer is very knowledgeable on the very British comedy genius that was Will Hay. As a bonus, we get to view a few of Will Hay’s film posters to illustrate the films that were Box Office hits and they include ‘The Black Sheep Of Whitehall [1942];’ ‘The Ghost of St. Michael’s [1941],’ ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ [1942] and ‘My Learned Friend’ [1943].’ Written by Simon Heffer. Produced by Beasty Rubens for BBC Radio 3’s The Essay series.
Finally, ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a satirical and light-hearted take on World War Two espionage, but more than that it is also a good example of how British comedy can be timeless. With a dash of slapstick but more of a focus on wordplay, ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a must see for fans of a British classic comedy film. Actors like Will Hay may be long gone, but his comedy films live on to show you how the original greats created the building blocks of the comedy we see in modern films today. ‘THE GOOSE STEPS OUT’ is a very good example of how this film was a box office smash hit, and while the World War Two setting may of aged, but the comedy we see in the film will never fade away, and helps the new generation appreciate what people enjoyed in 1942 and why the flocked to the cinema to banish the blues of the Second World War and forget their worries. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
