Will Hay's "Where There's a Will": A Bumbling, Bank-Robbing Blast from the Past

If you're after a dose of pure, unadulterated classic British slapstick, Will Hay's 1936 flick, Where There's a Will, is absolutely worth a watch today. Fans of vintage comedy, especially those familiar with Hay's particular brand of bumbling genius, will find plenty to chuckle at here. If you prefer your humor fast-paced, modern, or without a certain charming datedness, then this might feel a bit slow for you. 🤷‍♀️

Hay plays Mr. Benjamin Stubbins, a solicitor whose competence level seems to hover just above zero. He’s supposed to be handling a will, a pretty straightforward task you'd think. But from the moment he steps into the bank, you just know things are going to go sideways.

His interactions are always… a little off. He's got this air of self-importance, but he’s constantly tripping over his own words, or, you know, just misinterpreting everything around him. It’s the kind of character Hay perfected.

One of the best bits is how the bank robbery itself unfolds. This isn't some slick, Hollywood heist. Oh no. It's more like a series of unfortunate events, all amplified by Stubbins' total inability to read a room, or even his own paperwork. He just keeps stumbling into situations. Making everything worse, but somehow always convinced he’s doing a bang-up job.

The scene where he’s trying to organize his papers, completely oblivious to the commotion around him, is classic Hay. You almost want to reach into the screen and shake him. He just keeps going.

The film has this wonderful, slightly frantic energy. But it’s still very much of its time. The pacing is deliberate, letting Hay’s physical comedy and a lot of the verbal misunderstandings really land. Sometimes it feels like a stage play adapted for the screen, which, you know, makes sense for films from this era.

The crowd scenes, especially during the bank chaos, have this wonderfully unpolished feel. Like everyone’s just slightly out of sync. It adds to the charm.

And the supporting cast! They're all trying their best to deal with Stubbins, and their exasperation is half the fun. You can practically feel their collective sigh whenever he opens his mouth. Davina Craig as the bank clerk, I think, really sells the "I'm so done with this" vibe. She’s only in a few scenes, but her face just says it all. 😩

There’s this one moment, really small, where Stubbins is trying to explain something, and he keeps fumbling with his spectacles. It goes on for a bit longer than you expect. Just a few extra seconds. And it stops being just a prop gag and starts being genuinely funny because it highlights his total lack of grace. Those little pauses are everywhere.

It's not a deep film, not by any stretch. It’s a pure, simple laugh. A snapshot of a different kind of comedy. The whole plot about the will and the inheritance, it’s almost secondary to just watching Hay blunder his way through. You can tell the writers knew exactly what kind of character they had with him. They just let him be himself. An endearing mess.

The dialogue, too, has that distinct 1930s charm. A lot of clipped sentences, very proper. Which makes Stubbins' incompetence even funnier by contrast. Like, when he tries to assert authority, it just sounds so… unconvincing. It's less about witty one-liners. More about the sheer absurdity, really.

You know, the film doesn't try to be anything it's not. It's not trying to make a big statement. It just wants you to laugh at a man who's clearly in over his head. And for the most part, it pulls that off really well. It’s a gentle kind of humor. But it hits.

Didja Notice?

• Stubbins' perfectly round glasses are a character all their own. 🤓
• The way he always adjusts his tie just so before making a complete fool of himself. It’s a tell.
• The bank interior looks like something out of a play set, very charming. Very much of the era.
• Someone actually tries to explain a very complicated legal term to Stubbins, bless their heart. You can see their hope fading.
• The police officer who shows up near the end – he just looks tired. Like, not even surprised anymore by the antics.

This isn’t a movie you analyze for profound themes. It’s a movie you put on with a cup of tea on a quiet afternoon. A delightful, if a little dusty, piece of British comedy history. Give it a shot. You might be surprised. ✨