Who Done It?

Who Done It? Produced in 1956 stars Benny Hill as member of the chorus in a musical comedy on ice who enters a contest held by a mystery pulp magazine and wins a 100 Pounds & a blood hound. Due to typical Benny Hill high jinks he is fired from his skating job and so decides to get an office and become a privet eye. (would 100 pounds have gone that far even back then?) During his short career he happens on a gang of foreign spies & a scientist who has invented a machine that controls the weather, he also gets a girlfriend, played by the beautiful and tragically short lived Belinda Lee (She would die in an auto crash only five years after this film) who works as a stage strong girl. To be sure much slap follows there after. Who Done It rather reminded me of the sorts of films that Bob Hope or Danny Kaye use to make. With the introduction of the weather controlling device it reminded me a bit of the Avengers television series, only with the mod camp replace by hyperactive Benny Hill corn. I would not call it a practically out-standingly good or bad film. It's just one of those films that if you are in the mood for this sort of movie it's the sort of film that will match that mood.

Silly, none too bright, improbable, but with a laugh or two in it. And where else are you going to see Benny as a detective?

And yes he does end up in drag at one point.

On kanopy. The awesome comic benny hill, in his first, full length film role. When hugo gets kicked out of the stage show, he takes any job he can get. And gets mixed up with a group of spies. They hire him to imitate their evil scientist, to demonstrate a machine that can control the weather. And of course, that all goes wrong too. Along the way, he rescues a girl who doesn't need to be rescued. But she's flattered he would go to the trouble. It's mostly pretty light and fluffy. Lots of sight gags, jokes, misunderstandings. Pratfalls. Comedy bits. Co-stars belinda lee as hugo's girlfriend. She made a few more films, but died at twenty five in a car accident, just a few years after this was released. The story is quite silly, and nothing too special. Of course, he needs to dress up in drag, as part of the plot. Historically, it's fun to see a thirty two year old benny hill, years before he starred in his own show. The magic chair scene is right out of the marx brothers, or maybe the three stooges! Directed by basil dearden. He won the bafta for sapphire. Written by tib clarke, who had won his oscar for lavender hill.

Frantic, energetic slapstick comedy with spy and sci-fi elements (despite the title, it is NOT a parody of whodunits). Plenty of destruction and mayhem, and Belinda Lee is wonderful as "Strong Girl" Frankie ("men do not like to be dominated by women", she says at one point - I bet if the woman looks like Belinda Lee most men wouldn't mind at all....) **1/2 out of 4.

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

Benny Hill was a great comic actor later on in his career. In this you can see the potential. With 5 secs of Jess Conrad and much more of Belinda Lee what more can you ask for to while away the time.