James Tardy In the 1700s a pair of rum military officers plan to kidnap the Duke of Marlborough. The officers die testing a trap-door on the afternoon they are supposed to be serving tea to Queen Anne. As punishment for missing their date, they must haunt the house until royalty visits again.Although they try to attract royalty they seem to be doomed to failure, and the house is leased to many different colorful-characters including French courtesans, circus performers and an Indian emperor.A light-hearted film full of dry-humour quips and farce. The humour would have appealed to audiences looking for escapism and whimsy; however like all films of this time it contains subtle war-propaganda to inspire the masses.

Mozjoukine This embarrassingly unfunny comedy comes from the quality trough in British Film-making that followed WW2.The viewer cringes for Robert Morely and Felix Aylmer called on to front a story cobbled together from THE GHOST GOES WEST and FOREVER & A DAY, which drew on earlier sources themselves. In 1708, the "Two Old Sillies" off themselves in a dumb plot to immobilize the Duke of Marlborough and they are condemned to remain in the house (where they shared their bed!) as down the years it is tenanted by card players, dancing girls and circus performers, until we get to the Great War.Characteristically for the day, considerable expense has been taken with the costumes and a major set and they people the thing with a celebrity support cast to compensate for the lack of marquee names. Effects work is as feeble as the jokes "Sheik!" "No, we better not touch him" Ho Ho! Hans May's pastiche score is the best element.

clevelander The cream of British comic acting talent could not disguise the somewhat thin script, that was clearly intended as a wartime morale booster, but somehow appeared past its sell-by date, in 1947. Its true length should have been half an hour but they didn't have TV then. Nevertheless it has some fascination as a period piece, and we are kept in dull suspense wondering why they are waiting for the visit of a monarch, an interesting twist, which gives it its patriotic wartime message. The best cameo is undoubtedly Yvonne Arnaud as the scatty Bordello keeper (who - for the benefit of those below a certain age or not French or British - continued to have great success on BBC comedy radio throughout the 1950s till her death aged 66.) Robert Morley too, as usual, never fails to entertain.

blighty-3 Having just watched this marvellous film of wit & charm I felt compelled to comment. A witty movie full of wonderful characters.A gem of it's kind recommended for anyone who believes black & white means a bad movie but is prepared to be convinced.However, I do not see why it is classified as horror/comedy as there is no trace of horror in the whole film.