One Good Turn: A Forgotten Bit of British Silliness

Is this worth your time?

Honestly? Only if you have a soft spot for 1930s British comedy that feels like it was put together with scraps of tape and a whole lot of shouting. If you prefer your movies to have a logical plot, skip this. If you like watching a guy get into increasingly ridiculous trouble while wearing a funny hat, you might actually have a blast.

Leslie Fuller is the whole show here. He plays the kind of character who is perpetually confused but somehow comes out on top. It’s not exactly high art, but it has this weird, frantic energy that I kind of respected by the end.

The Messy Bits

The pacing is all over the place. One minute we’re in a quiet room, and the next, there’s a chase scene that feels like it’s happening in a different movie entirely. It reminds me a bit of the chaos in Double Whoopee, though maybe a bit less focused on the pure physical stuff.

There is a moment about halfway through involving a suitcase that just goes on for way too long. The silence in the room when nobody says anything for ten seconds? It felt like the director just forgot to yell cut. It was awkward. I loved it.

• Leslie Fuller’s face is basically a special effect on its own.
• The supporting cast seems like they’re trying to catch a bus while acting.
• The dialogue is mostly just people explaining why they are angry.

I found myself wondering if anyone in 1936 actually talked like this. Probably not. It’s like a stage play that someone decided to film on a Tuesday afternoon when the studio was half-empty. There is a charm to that, I suppose.

Final thoughts

It’s not as tight as The Plumber, but it has a certain grit to the production. The sets look like they’re held up by hope and thin cardboard. You can almost see the wires if you look hard enough in the background. It’s imperfect, loud, and completely unnecessary, which is exactly why I didn't hate it. 🍿