Clara Gibbings (1934) is a messy but fun class comedy

If you've got a soft spot for dusty, old-school British class comedies where people talk like they have marbles in their mouths, Clara Gibbings is a fun little time machine. But if you can't stand theatrical drawing-room plays where everyone just stands around in fancy suits, stay far, far away.

I stumbled on this one late last Tuesday night while looking for something completely different. Honestly, I didn't expect much from a 1934 melodrama about a girl finding out she's secret royalty. 👑

But Clara Gibbings has this weird, scrappy charm to it.

Dorothy Brunton plays Clara, who starts out running a loud London pub. She's brassy, she's loud, and she clearly doesn't give a damn about high society rules.

Then, boom. She finds out she's actually the legitimate daughter of an Earl.

The whole movie basically shifts into this awkward fish out of water story.

What I love is how Brunton plays the role. She doesn't immediately become elegant or soft.

She keeps her rough edges, which makes the fancy aristocrats look absolutely ridiculous. 😂

There is this one scene where she's holding a tiny teacup like it's a weapon. I actually laughed out loud at how she glared at the butler.

The romance with the young aristocrat (played by Campbell Copelin) is... well, it's pretty weak. He has the personality of a wet cardboard box.

It reminds me a bit of the class clashes in The Wicked Darling, but way less dark.

The script is based on a play, and boy, does it show. Most of the film takes place in about three rooms.

The camera barely moves, like the cameraman fell asleep behind the lens.

There is this one guy, Guy Hastings, whose mustache is so fake it actually moves when he talks. I spent ten minutes just staring at his upper lip instead of listening to the dialogue.

Its those little things that make these forgotten films so great to watch.

It's not a masterpiece like Battleship Potemkin, obviously. But it doesn't try to be.

It's just a silly, slightly clumsy 80-minute distraction.

The ending is incredibly rushed, though. Like they ran out of film and just decided to stop shooting.

Still, if you like old British accents and funny faces, give it a go.