South American George (1941)

Director:

Marcel Varnel

Writers:

Leslie Arliss (writer)
Norman Lee (writer)

Release Date:

27 December 1941 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

George Formby	...	George Butters, Gilli Vanetti
Linden Travers	...	Carole Dean
Enid Stamp-Taylor	...	Frances Martinique
Jacques Brown	...	Enrico Richardo
Felix Aylmer	...	Mr. Appleby
Ronald Shiner	...	Swifty
Alf Goddard	...	Slappy
Gus McNaughton	...	George White
Mavis Villiers	...	Mts. Durrant
Herbert Lomas	...	Mr. Butters
Eric Clavering	...	Mr. Durrant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beatrice Varley	...	Mrs. Butters

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:Btl

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Soundtrack:

I Played on My Spanish Guitar

Hoarse Opera

This was George's first film for Columbia GB after 5 years with ATBP but even with the move from Ealing to Elstree the formula the plot and the cast were reassuringly familiar. Some would say the songs too!

In here though he gets his one and only chance to play 2 roles: Gilli Vannetti the renowned South American tenor and George Butters the unrenowned Northern chap looking for a job. Vannetti departs for Los Palmas in breach of his contract while Linden Travers finds that when George's hair curls he looks just like Vannetti, so a substitution takes place and thus begin their attempts to prevent impresario Ricardo from sacking him. This means also pretending Vannetti has laryngitis so George's Lankey accent won't give the game away. Jacques Brown has some of the funniest lines playing the apoplectic impresario – I certainly wouldn't argue with him that he was entitled to think Vannetti a Stinkeroo! Ronald Shiner and Alf Goddard delightfully play Swifty and Slappy, a pair of laconic cartoony hoodlums who consider themselves honour bound to liquidate Vannetti for Ricardo any way they can. And does George get the girl, even though she has more brains and breeding than usual – "You're the biggest little man I've ever met" is a clue. Songs were Barmaid At The Rose & Crown (to her anger), a rousing Swing Mama (at the very lively Actors' Benovolent Home), I'd Do It With A Smile (crooned to Carol in Vannetti's flat) and My Spanish Guitar (on stage, after the jig was up). Favourite bits: Shiner's and Brown's witticisms; wanting a P when putting up the theatre sign.

It's slightly longer than usual but as well filled out as Rosie at the Rose & Crown and the usual treat for Formby fans.