George Formby In The R.A.F.

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 30, 6 January 1939, Page 14

George Formby In The R.A.F.

["it’s in The Air." B.ELF. Directed by Anthony Kimmins. Starring George Formby. First release: Wellington, January 20.] OMEBODY in an American magazine has _ recently discovered that a large percentage of British producers these days have dipped their fingers in the propaganda pie and are making pictures unofficially sponsored and approved by Whitehall, with the object of discreetly boosting suitable British institutions and traditions which, in the opinion of authority, need a little encouragement. If this hadn’t been discovered by an American magazine, it could quite easily have been discovered by an HEnglish one — except that few loyal English magazines would make such an indiscreet disclosure — for the trend is pretty obvious. We’ve had "Victoria the Great" and now "Sixty Glorious Vears;" dedicated to

royalty; "The Drum" glorified the Empire-builders and white men’s burden-carriers; George Formby did his bit for the Physical Fitness Campaign in "Keep Fit’; and nobody needs to ask what "Our Glor:ous Navy" is all about. And now comes "It’s In The Air," in which British Empire Films and George Formby (who must be a particularly white-haired boy with Whitehall) help to spread the idea that life in the Royal Air Force is just about all beer and skittles-and not a crack-up in 2 month of bad flyingdays. Formal. Pattern PROPAGANDA in British pictures is seldom subtle, blithely ignor-

ing the fact that the death-roll in the R.A.F. in 1938 was the highest for nearly 20 years. "It’s In The Air" makes much hearty by-play on the subject of ambulance men at the flying field who have been moping round for three months waiting for a job. However, the social significance or propagand.. content, or whatever you call it, of "It’s In The Air" need not bother you much. The film is broad farcical entertainment cut to the formal Formby pattern of the oafish, well-meaning fellow who can do nothing right and leaves a wake of trouble whenever he moves. It is embellished with the usual Formby songs and the inevitable Formby ukulele. in Hot Water ‘s7I’S In The Air" flies true to type even in ... subsidiary theme of conflict with the crotchety sergeant-major and romance with the sergeant-major’s daughter, ~ But the manner in which the, bewildered hero is made to fall perpetually foul of the sergeantmajor, even when his intentions are of the highest, reveals richly comic invention, and is actually one of the best passages of sustained humour in all Formby’s films. Julien Mitchell, as the military menace with three stripes and a crown, is an excellent foil to the inanely-grin-ning comedian. For a high-paced finale, the film launches the raw recruit, solo, in a test flight ‘plane from which he emerges, after a dizzy series of un-. intentional stunts, to win the approvel of the Air Ministry. If you like George Formby, "It’s In ‘The Air" won't let you down.