Come On George!

Come On George!
Danish poster
Directed by	Anthony Kimmins
Written by	Leslie Arliss Val Valentine Anthony Kimmins
Produced by	Jack Kitchin
Starring	George Formby Pat Kirkwood Joss Ambler Meriel Forbes
Cinematography	Ronald Neame
Edited by	Ray Pitt
Music by	Ernest Irving
Production company	Associated Talking Pictures
Distributed by	ABFD
Release date	20 October 1939 (1939-10-20)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Come On George! is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins which stars George Formby, with Pat Kirkwood and Joss Ambler in support. It was made by Associated Talking Pictures. It concerns the world of horse racing, and Formby, who had once been a stable apprentice, did his own riding in the film. ^[1] Songs featured are "I'm Making Headway Now", "I Couldn't Let The Stable Down", "Pardon Me", and "Goodnight Little Fellow, Goodnight". ^[2]

Plot

In this farce, Formby plays a stable boy. He also has the unique ability to soothe an anxious racing horse. Expectedly, George races the horse and wins. ^[3]

Cast

• George Formby as George
• Pat Kirkwood as Ann Johnson
• Joss Ambler as Sir Charles Bailey - the owner of the racehorse 'Maneater'
• Meriel Forbes as Monica Bailey
• Cyril Raymond as Jimmy Taylor
• George Hayes as Bannerman
• George Carney as Sergeant Johnson
• Ronald Shiner as Nat
• Gibb McLaughlin as Dr MacGregor
• Hal Gordon as Stable Boy
• Davy Burnaby as Colonel Bollinger
• Leo Franklyn as Bannerman's Trainer (uncredited)
• Diana Beaumont as Nurse (uncredited)
• James Hayter as Barker
• C. Denier Warren as Banker
• Syd Crossley as Police Constable Cronley
• Dirk Bogarde (uncredited extra) ^[4]
• Jack May as stable boy (uncredited)

Critical reception

Hal Erickson wrote in Allmovie: "Come on George! was a product of George Formby's peak movie years." ^[5]

According to TV Guide "this is one of" Formby's "lesser efforts". ^[6]

Halliwell's Film Guide noted a "standard comedy vehicle, well-mounted, with the star at his box office peak". ^[2]

In "thiswaydown.org", Finn Clark wrote: "the first half isn't very good... However the story picks up as it moves along until by the end, it's a charming little romp that made me laugh and made me happy". ^[7]

According to Kinematograph Weekly it was one of the most successful films at the British box office in January 1940. ^[8]

See also

• List of films about horses
• List of films about horse racing

References

1. "Come On George 1939". Britmovie. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
2. "Come On George". Georgeformby.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
3. "Come on George (1939)". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
4. "Come on George! (1939) - IMDb". IMDb .
5. "Come on George (1939)". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
6. "Come On George". TV Guide. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
7. "Come on George!". Finnclark.thiswaydown.org. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
8. Billings, Josh (9 January 1941). "Quality maintained despite blitz conditions". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 26.

Bibliography

• Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
• Perry, George. Forever Ealing. Pavilion Books, 1994.
• Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

• Come On George! at the British Film Institute ^{[ better source needed ]}
• Come On George! at IMDb