“A
blast from the past and part of The
British Film Collection, Dandy Dick is
a fine comedy centring around a vicar’s
single-minded determination to raise
money for the repair of the church
spire — whatever it takes...”
BASED ON ARTHUR WING PINERO'S 1887 stage play, the clever and highly amusing
Dandy Dick was filmed in 1935, with the brilliant comedy actor Will Hay
starring as Reverend Richard Jedd, who is beginning to despair of the dangerous
state of the church spire.
As the church committee meets to discuss fund-raising, an aeroplane is running
out of fuel and skims perilously over the head of the vicar's daughter Pamela
(Nancy Burne).
Pamela is meeting her father's sister Georgiana (Mignon O'Doherty) at the railway
station where the pilot of the plane, Tony Mardon (Esmond Knight) is also meeting
his father, Sir William (Davy Burnaby), who is a friend of Pamela's aunt.
“A witty, highly amusing
farce with a great deal of
unbridled horseplay...”
The
church committee has decided to hold a fete to raise the necessary £1,000 (an
absolute fortune in the 1930s) and Tony offers to take parishioners up in his
plane for a fee, to be donated to the church funds for the spire.
However, all does not go according to plan and finally Richard decides to bet
all his money on a horse — against both his better judgement and
his conscience. His reputation is riding on Dandy Dick, a 10-1 odds-on, winning
the race.
Richard creates a herbal tonic to enhance the horse's performance but, after
the intervention of his butler, the respectable vicar becomes tangled up in
a doping scandal — and it's about to get worse.
With all sorts of high-jinks leading to a riot of fun, nothing appears to go
right for the hapless vicar. But he has one more trick up his sleeve and it
might just save the spire…
Dandy Dick is an early showcase of Will Hay's brilliance and is the first
of his collaborations with American Director William Beaudine. The film is presented
in a brand new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited
cinema aspect ratio. A witty, highly amusing farce with a great deal of unbridled
horseplay — Will Hay leads a cast superbly into character.
Also featuring: John Singer as young Freddie; Syd Crossley as Wilkins; and Robert
Nainby as Bale. Cinematography is by Jack Parker. Writers are Arthur Wing Pinero
(Play) and Adaptation, Scenario and Dialogue by William Beaudine, Clifford Grey,
Will Hay and Frank Miller; Producer is Walter C Mycroft; Directed by William
Beaudine.
*Dandy
Dick is released by Network Distributing on DVD on 9 September 2013. Running
Time: 70 Minutes Approximately | Catalogue Number: 7954009 | RRP: £9.99.
"Dandy Dick… a witty, highly amusing farce with a great deal of unbridled
horseplay"
—Maggie Woods
“A
blast from the past and part of The