A reasonably amusing British comedy with some great lines, it is nevertheless often slow-moving and rather stale between the jokes. The same team struck gold with a film called 'Fighting Stock' a year later, but this entry is still worth checking out, with Ralph Lynn as delightful as ever. Yet, it is not much in the way of great film-making, with the content insufficient for the short running time, and there is a silly dream sequence added in for arguably little purpose except to buff up the film's length. Fans of British comedies from the era should find enough to enjoy in it, but it is hard to guarantee this for other viewers.
5 Reviews
Blood Will Out
Spondonman29 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A Cup Of Kindness was the last Ben Travers Aldwych Theatre play filmed with the original team of Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn & Robertson Hare, the play was good enough to run for 291 performances from 1929. Although a pleasant time passer the trouble is his other efforts all had better lines and more farcical situations; maybe simply the setting of everyone's travails in a "middle class" instead of upper class environment made a huge difference.
Suburban neighbours the Tutt's and the Rambottom's are absurdly snobbish and/or reverse-snobbish and/or plain argumentative, but their respective offspring are in love with each other. Lynn gets involved in some dodgy enterprise which for a time makes it look like curtains for his romance with Dorothy Hyson but of course in accordance with most of the best films ever made a happy ending is guaranteed. That is my only problem with it – the cup of kindness overflowed so suddenly and swiftly with Auld Lang Syne sung by the cast to the camera I wondered if the climax of the original play had been as rushed too. The film lasted a mere 75 minutes, I could have happily sat through another 75; most people probably wouldn't last 75 seconds though. To me there were enough double-entendres, witticisms and nonsenses to make it all worthwhile, none of which could be successfully conveyed in print. Graham Moffat appeared briefly as a choirboy, the IMDb list this as his earliest film; Claude Hulbert played his usual part – therefore with Lynn making a brace of silly asses in here. Favourite bits: the group assembled for the wedding photo and the chaotic break up; Sly Veronica Rose telling departing bride Hyson (and us) she'd packed nothing in her suitcase because that's what she's need. Nice old farce, I assume the BBC's 1970 version was binned and lost decades ago so thanks go to Walls and Travers for committing it to film and preserving it.
Suburban neighbours the Tutt's and the Rambottom's are absurdly snobbish and/or reverse-snobbish and/or plain argumentative, but their respective offspring are in love with each other. Lynn gets involved in some dodgy enterprise which for a time makes it look like curtains for his romance with Dorothy Hyson but of course in accordance with most of the best films ever made a happy ending is guaranteed. That is my only problem with it – the cup of kindness overflowed so suddenly and swiftly with Auld Lang Syne sung by the cast to the camera I wondered if the climax of the original play had been as rushed too. The film lasted a mere 75 minutes, I could have happily sat through another 75; most people probably wouldn't last 75 seconds though. To me there were enough double-entendres, witticisms and nonsenses to make it all worthwhile, none of which could be successfully conveyed in print. Graham Moffat appeared briefly as a choirboy, the IMDb list this as his earliest film; Claude Hulbert played his usual part – therefore with Lynn making a brace of silly asses in here. Favourite bits: the group assembled for the wedding photo and the chaotic break up; Sly Veronica Rose telling departing bride Hyson (and us) she'd packed nothing in her suitcase because that's what she's need. Nice old farce, I assume the BBC's 1970 version was binned and lost decades ago so thanks go to Walls and Travers for committing it to film and preserving it.
Hulbert Adds Spark To Routine Farce
malcolmgsw8 December 2012
Claude Hulbert joins the Aldwych farce for this film.He is a very funny actor,far better than his better known brother Jack.Unusual to have 2 actors who played "silly ass" parts in the same film.To me the main problem with these films is Tom Walls who insists upon acting as if he is on stage with very broad gestures.I just don't find him funny unlike say Robertson Hare who is far better.There is a stone age dream which might be there to pad out the running time but is far and away the funniest thing in the film.Incidentally there is one curious point.All of the actors are wearing very dark eye shadow.In once scene Ralph Lynn looks as if he has 2 black eyes.I wonder if this was required because of the film stock or the lighting.In any event it looks extremely strange.
Ralph Lynn's legion of fans will love this one!
JohnHowardReid6 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Tom Walls (Fred Tutt), Ralph Lynn (Charlie Tutt), Robertson Hare (Ernest Ramsbotham), Dorothy Hyson (Betty Ramsbotham), Claude Hulbert (Stanley Tutt), Marie Wright (Mrs Ramsbotham), Eva Moore (Mrs Tutt), Veronica Rose (Tilly Winn), Gordon James (Uncle Nicholas Ramsbotham), D. A. Clarke-Smith (Finch), J. Fisher White (Canon Niblitt), Philip Carlton (Chivers), Daphne Scorer (Kate, the Ramsbotham maid).
Director: TOM WALLS. Screenplay and dialogue: Ben Travers. Based on his play. Photography: Philip Tannura. Film editor: A. W. Roome. Art director: Alfred Junge. Costumes: Berlei. Music director: Louis Levy. Unit production manager: Alec Saville. Sound recording: P. Dorte. British Acoustic Film Sound System. Producer: Michael Balcon. Copyright 1934 by Gaumont-British Picture Corp. Not copyrighted or theatrically released in the U.S.A. Released in the U.K. through Gaumont-British: 29 September 1934. Made at Gaumont-British Studios, Shepherd's Bush. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox. 81 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: From the Stone Age to the present day, a spirit of enmity has always existed between neighbors.
COMMENT: A typical Ben Travers farce. The material is slight, leavened with a modicum of wit, its main function being to introduce a number of likable characters in which seasoned players like Walls and Lynn can perform their usual delightful turns.
Walls the director has given Walls the actor plenty of well-deserved attention and also allowed Lynn plenty of opportunities to make the most of his material.
The other thespians are only slightly less indulgently treated. Miss Hyson makes a spirited heroine, whilst Claude Hulbert does comic wonders with a character who's given a splendid introduction but thereafter has comparatively little to do.
Although the play has been slightly opened out with scenes at a nightclub and a police station and even a Stone Age flashback, it's still pretty much a stagy production. It takes little imagination to see the curtain falling and rising between acts. Director Walls does his best to overcome the problem, using reverse angles, close- ups and even a tracking shot or two to break up the proscenium action, but his efforts are to some extent undermined by what is obviously an extremely tight budget.
In all, this is definitely a second-string Ben Travers work, both in writing and pasteurization, but fairly entertaining nonetheless — particularly for Ralph Lynn's legion of fans.
Director: TOM WALLS. Screenplay and dialogue: Ben Travers. Based on his play. Photography: Philip Tannura. Film editor: A. W. Roome. Art director: Alfred Junge. Costumes: Berlei. Music director: Louis Levy. Unit production manager: Alec Saville. Sound recording: P. Dorte. British Acoustic Film Sound System. Producer: Michael Balcon. Copyright 1934 by Gaumont-British Picture Corp. Not copyrighted or theatrically released in the U.S.A. Released in the U.K. through Gaumont-British: 29 September 1934. Made at Gaumont-British Studios, Shepherd's Bush. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox. 81 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: From the Stone Age to the present day, a spirit of enmity has always existed between neighbors.
COMMENT: A typical Ben Travers farce. The material is slight, leavened with a modicum of wit, its main function being to introduce a number of likable characters in which seasoned players like Walls and Lynn can perform their usual delightful turns.
Walls the director has given Walls the actor plenty of well-deserved attention and also allowed Lynn plenty of opportunities to make the most of his material.
The other thespians are only slightly less indulgently treated. Miss Hyson makes a spirited heroine, whilst Claude Hulbert does comic wonders with a character who's given a splendid introduction but thereafter has comparatively little to do.
Although the play has been slightly opened out with scenes at a nightclub and a police station and even a Stone Age flashback, it's still pretty much a stagy production. It takes little imagination to see the curtain falling and rising between acts. Director Walls does his best to overcome the problem, using reverse angles, close- ups and even a tracking shot or two to break up the proscenium action, but his efforts are to some extent undermined by what is obviously an extremely tight budget.
In all, this is definitely a second-string Ben Travers work, both in writing and pasteurization, but fairly entertaining nonetheless — particularly for Ralph Lynn's legion of fans.
Typical Tom Walls Farce
Britney-Keira30 January 2006
Well I have become a Tom Walls "expert" now with this the fourth film of his I have seen. This is a mild comedy of word, manners and farce. It is typical Tom Walls fare, although it seems to be an early example of a style he later perfected. The supporting roles do their best with the material and make the appropriate faces. The bizarre get of the old cranky scheming uncle who lives upstairs is a bit disconcerting, and the musical interlude where they are in the stone age is amusing. Overall a mildly diverting comedy nothing to write home about, but not the worst comedy I have seen. Mainly for the Tom Walls fans out there. At least it did not wear out its welcome with its length (unlike these reviews which insist of a minimum of ten lines of text!)
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