"Good Morning, Boys" is a wonderful early English comedy. When one considers the picture Americans have of the stiff upper lip of the British, a comedy of this nature in the 1930s is a surprise. More so because of the stern upbringing of boys across the pond shown by most films of the period. But, here is proof of the comedy offerings of early British cinema. And it is a hilarious delight.
Will Hay stars as Dr. Benjamin Twist. He seems more intent on teaching his boys about things in life than any formal education. The plot itself is a zany one. It contains equal doses of witty dialog, goofy lines, and crazy antics. Dr. Twist prattles on about one subject after another with the dean and Lady Bogshott, an admirer of Twist. They are played admirably by Fewlass Llewellyn and Martita Hunt, respectively. This is all to the consternation of the new school board chairman, Col. Willoughy-Gore, played by Peter Gawthorne. The cast of boys is hilarious. Graham Moffatt is the leader, as Albert Brown.
At one point, the Colonel calls Twist's prattling dialog a "Twisterism." The script truly has some nonsensical lines that are sure to bring a smile – if not loud laughter, from any viewer. This is a very funny and entertaining film. One other reviewer said it compares favorably with early American slapstick and buffoonery such as that of Abbott and Costello and the Marx Brothers. However, I would caution parents who have troubles disciplining teenagers. You may not want them to see the shenanigans of boys from almost a century ago that this film shows.
One of my favorite "Twisterisms" is when Twist appears before the school board to defend the learning of his boys. A board member addresses him: "The colonel claims that the boys couldn't answer the questions. Why couldn't they?" Twist replies: "Well, possibly he didn't ask them the right ones. When all's said and done, the boys can't answer questions for which they don't know the answers, can they?"
