The Goose Steps Out (1942)

'Ealing Studios' has become synonymous with 'Ealing Comedy' and immediately conjures up warm recollections of undisputed marvels like 'The Lavender Hill Mob' and 'The Ladykillers'. However, This recent batch of Ealing Studio releases from Optimum serve as a great reminder that, hidden amongst the gems of the period lie many second rate, low budget period curios that are less than sparkling. One such movie is this Will Hay wartime feature which, despite offering up a luke-warm nostalgic glow, is a pretty tepid affair.

When a German spy (named Muller) escapes from British military police at an airport, a befuddled schoolteacher (Potts - played by Will Hay) is mistakenly arrested in his place. It turns out that he is the missing spy's double. So when the real Muller is caught, MI5 decide to send Potts back to Altenberg. There he is to bring back a secret weapon that the Nazi's have been testing in a lab. Cue some zany slapstick, unlikely escapes and of course, eventual success.



Luckily there is no danger of any of Muller's colleagues noticing any anomaly. After all, it's only German English that is spoken here ('Vot is Dat? Etc) and Hay seems more than capable of that.

Made during the war (1942), had this fallen into German hands it's difficult to know what they would have made of it. It certainly doesn't seem to take the war very seriously. The German's here are officious but incompetent goons, and the Brits all seem to think the war is a bit of a lark. But nonetheless, this was still used as morale-boosting propaganda at the time.



Hay is all ex-music hall, with reactions that wouldn't look out of place in a pantomime, so don't expect much filmic subtlety here.
A nice element of the film for the British film fan is seeing so many cameo performances by so many British actors. One notable scene, where Hay is playing the 'false Muller', is where he is teaching a class of Nazi brown-shirts how to behave in England. Amongst that class of youngsters you'll see Peter Ustinov (in his first credited role), a young Charles Hawtrey (who also appeared in a more substantial role in 'Passport to Pimlico' seven years later) and Barry Morse (yes- he of 'Space 1999' fame). Even the first Doctor (William Hartnell) makes a cameo as a Nazi prison guard, confirming the notion that were only twenty or so male actors available in Britain at the time.



It's shown here in 1.33:1 (rather than its original 'Academy Standard' 1.37:1) though as the differences are marginal you don't get the feeling that much of the action has been cropped. It's a reasonable transfer, though I'm guessing no different than previous releases of this movie.

Will Hay fans may enjoy this film from his later years, though many would argue that his earlier film work, prior to the move to Ealing, was much better. Unfortunately, by 1942 budgets were tight and generally movies had to be seen to contributing to the war effort. As a result, many seem a bit strange today. (Didn't Tarzan take on the Nazi's as well as Sherlock Holmes, both despite their historical context?).

For me, 'Goose' is neither his nor Ealing's finest hour, nor anything close. In other words, one strictly for Hay fans or those curious with film of the period.