This film is part of Free
Did You Ever See a Dream Talking?
Will Hay's 'silly ass' sidekick Claude Hulbert is excellent in this ingenious wartime savings propaganda comedy short.
Overview
Claude Hulbert is in splendid form here as a bumbling 'silly ass', too selfish to invest in war savings, in this wonderfully entertaining Ealing Studios short. Hulbert's Home Guard volunteer fritters his money on whisky, a new shaving mirror and a hat for his wife, until his good and bad guardian angels (both brilliantly played by Hulbert) invade his dreams and wage battle for his conscience.
Around the time this film was made, Hulbert was becoming familiar as a dithering foil for fellow clown Will Hay, and together they did their bit for the war effort. Hulbert joined Hay on the trail of a Nazi spy in the Ealing feature The Ghost of St. Michael's (1941) and on stage in patriotic revue, where the duo played inept air raid wardens. In this short, though, Claude gets a chance to showcase his often overlooked talent as a solo performer.
Related
Happy Family Happy Family
War 1939 9 mins
Summer 1939, and an ordinary family gets an alarming taste of war to come in this little-known Ealing Studios propaganda short.
Tim Marches Back Tim Marches Back
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1944 2 mins
A Peter Strausfeld animation, encouraging the public to use the telephone more sparingly in wartime.
Ships with Wings (Film Trailer) Ships with Wings (Film Trailer)
Promotional 1941 2 mins
A trailer for Ealing's wartime drama "Ships with Wings", an all-star actioner about the Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
The Man in Grey (Film Trailer) The Man in Grey (Film Trailer)
Promotional 1943 3 mins Silent
Gainsborough melodrama trailer, starring the most desirable cast of the period.
The Silent Village The Silent Village
Government sponsored film 1943 36 mins Location: Cwmgiedd
The villagers of Cwmgiedd re-enact a Nazi massacre in Czechoslovakia, in Humphrey Jenningsβ unforgettable propaganda film.
Fear and Peter Brown Fear and Peter Brown
Documentary 1940 16 mins
Terror on the home front - literally - in this heady and eccentric brew.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archiveβs role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.