Hey! Hey! U.S.A!

Will Hay was a late-blooming British film comedian of the 1930s and early 1940s. His style was a rapid-fire delivery that was very good. But, with his English accent and occasional slang of a place and time, it made following his dialog difficult at times for English speakers on this side of the pond.

In this film, Hay heads to America, but not by choice in the plot. I'm sure the whole thing was filmed at Islington studios in England, save for the ocean scenes and panorama of New York City. As with most of the plots of the films Hay made, this one is far-fetched and quite silly. But, silliness of plots is often a big part of comedy. And, in this one, the story is a real hoot. The few other reviewers to this time didn't think much of this film, but I think it has some very funny scenes and situations. And, the supporting cast add considerably to the humor.

Arthur Goullet is especially good as Henry "Gloves" Johnson. The scenes are very good in which Johnson shows frustration with his buddy, Dr. Benjamin Twist (played by Hay). Johnson calls him "baldy," and when Hay's character wrongly construes things that Johnson says or does, Johnson shows great angst with some very funny facial contortions.

This is an amusing and fun movie that most people should enjoy.