Who Done It? (1956)

disgusting, overrated, pointless

An Exercise In Nonsense

Admirable film.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Who Done It? is out of Ealing Studios, directed by Basil Dearden and written by T.E.B. Clarke. It stars Benny Hill, Belinda Lee, David Kossof, Gary Marsh, George Margo, Ernest Thesiger and Denis Shaw. Music is by Philip Green and cinematography by Otto Heller.Benny Hill's first foray into film has him playing Hugo Dill, an Ice Rink attendant who dreams of one day becoming a detective like those in the magazines he reads. When he wins a competition that sees him land £100 and a Bloodhound! He promptly sets up his own detective agency, which provides colourful chaos...It came out as Ealing Sudios was entering its last furlong, the great studio's wonderful comedies behind them, this very much feels like a last throw of the dice whilst giving Hill's career a timely push. As it happens, and as we now know, Hill would find his fame and fortune in Television and not on film. This s amiable stuff for those after a bit of slapstick and prat falling. Basically Hill is thrust into a murderous plot involving spies, where he's out of his depth and not aware of what is really going on half the time, which sets it all up for mishaps, misadventures and misunderstandings.Love interest and muscle foil (seriously) comes via the gorgeous Belinda Lee, sadly to lose her life in a road accident five years later, whilst a number of well known British acting faces are in and around the plot so we can play spot the star. The number of chaotic scenes involving chases and destruction of events and property etc are well played out, with the obligatory speed framing technique showing its face as well, and it builds to a frenetic last quarter of film that culminates at the old West Ham Stadium, a location familiar to Stock Car/Speedway/Greyhound enthusiasts before its closure in 1972. It's a finale that saves the film and rewards those who have stayed with the pic throughout its daft formulaic throes. 6/10

An Ealing spy caper to showcase the talents of Benny Hill who has a dual role. He plays Hugo Dill who gets the chance to be a private detective after he wins some money and a bloodhound in a mystery magazine competition.Pretty soon Hugo gets caught up in a plot involving a weather changing machine being smuggled out of Britain and him being put up as a ringer for one of the foreign scientists that will set him up to be a fall guy.He also inadvertently gets help from showgirl Frankie (Belinda Lee) who provides beauty and brawn as she is naturally strong and beats up the henchmen.As a showcase for Hill, it allows him don various disguises and play up the bumbling fool who causes pandemonium and elicit exasperation from the local police inspector.This is not one of the best Ealing comedies, it is rarely shown on television. There are some funny scenes such as Frankie knocking out the audience when she bangs a drum. Hill does his best to take advantage of a rare starring role in movies with a persona far removed from his saucy ITV sketch comedies of the 1970s and 1980s.It was nice to spot several familiar actors such as Irene Handl, Charles Hawtrey and Harold Goodwin but overall this felt like a thin plot that was padded with slapstick.

when this film was made Benny Hill was a rising TV star and Ealing Stucios was about to close down to turn over to BBC TV.It is difficult to believe that T.E.B.Clarke could turn out such an inane unfunny script as this.Maybe they were looking to Hill as a sort of lowbrow Alce Guiness to try and replicate his success in "Kind Hearts And Coronets".There is a very distinguished cast of supporting actors.however even such an expert comedy actor as Garry Marsh is reduced to hamming it up to try and extract laughs from the feeble script.It is interesting to note that this was Hills one and only starring effort in film.In his other films he was part of a supporting cast.Maybe if he had been allowed to write this film it would have been a lot funnier.It couldn't have been worse.

Benny Hill fans will enjoy this free-for-all nonsense about International espionage and a "secret weapon" developed by stereotypical Eastern-Block scientist. Benny, our likable hero, is a "Inspector Clouseau" type amateur detective, ready to tackle his first assignment: impersonate the famous professor, as part of the secret plan for the bad guys to rule the world.The story is "formula" and thin as a satin thread, but an extra large helping of "Benny Hill" slap stick, complete with lots of pretty girls and the obligatory Benny-in-drag scenes, make this predictable vehicle hobble along. The final car chase on (are you ready for this?) a race track is totally stupid, but what did you expect? Given the 1950s mentality and the limited budgets available to produce a silly comedy, the objective was met. Today something similar would hope to recoupe it's investments in direct-to-video sales.