The Deputy Drummer: A total mess, but a fun one

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for 1930s British comedy and don't mind a movie that feels like it was written on the back of a napkin during lunch. If you want a tight, logical plot, keep walking. If you want to see a guy get mistaken for a Lord while holding a drumstick like a royal scepter, pull up a chair.

The whole premise of The Deputy Drummer is just pure, unadulterated nonsense. You have a classical composer who somehow ends up in a jazz band. The transition makes no sense, but who cares? The jazz band scenes are loud, chaotic, and feel like they’re trying to wake up the neighbors three doors down.

Then there’s the whole bit with the necklace. It shows up in pockets, it disappears, it’s basically a character of its own. It’s handled with all the grace of a bowling ball hitting a pile of china. 🎳

Wait, who is this guy?

Fred Leslie is doing a lot of heavy lifting here with his face alone. He spends half the movie looking like he’s trying to solve a complex math equation while someone is poking him in the ribs. It’s funny, mostly because it’s so desperate.

The crooks are… well, they’re definitely crooks. They show up, they look grumpy, they get outsmarted in ways that defy physics. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Flip's Lunch Room, though maybe with a bit more tuxedos and less spilled soup.

• The party scene lasts an eternity.
• The dialogue is mostly people shouting over each other.
• I’m pretty sure one of the extras is just reading a newspaper in the background for ten minutes.
• There is a dog involved. The dog is the smartest actor on screen.

The film doesn't have the polish of something like The Gay Lord Waring, but it has this weird, frantic pulse. It’s like the editor was working with a pair of rusty garden shears. They just kept cutting until the film reel ended.

I found myself wondering why the hostess didn't just ask the guy for his ID, but then I remembered that logic is an enemy of this genre. You just have to let the movie happen to you. Just don't look too closely at the continuity or your head might start to ache a bit. 😵

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. It’s more of a series of misunderstandings tied together with loose string. But for a rainy afternoon? Yeah, it’s got enough charm to keep you from turning it off, even if you’re mostly just watching to see how much more ridiculous it can get.