Two struggling artistes try to persuade a former star to back their new show by pretending to be her housekeepers.
Oh, look it's Arthur Askey - and he's sleeping next to a beautiful woman! No, two! Good heavens, what's happened? He's sleeping down a tube station to avoid the bombs and taking advantage of the camaraderie. But there are worse horrors to face than Hitler's bombs - Askey is about to sing. After he's done with "Hello to the Sun", he heads for his agent's in search of work only to find that his new job depends on the participation of Lady Randall (Lily Morris) who is refusing to play ball. Soon Askey's in drag with Richard Murdoch in tow being butler and maid for the lady and hoping to put in a good word for the show before they get rumbled.
Among their problems are the lady's mad father Moore Marriott, stuffy brother-in-law Felix Aylmer, and Askey's total inability to cook. Luckily the last of these problems is solved by stealing meals from the house next door and annoying cook Kathleen Harrison. Her fury when she finds out what's been going on is one of the highlights of the film.
The high quality of the performers involved in the film helps make it more entertaining than the script deserves. This doesn't include the trio of Forsythe, Seamon and Farrell whose brand of vaudeville backtalk gets very wearing very quickly. Still, let's just be charitable and give them credit for staying this side of the Atlantic during the Blitz.
Naturally, the film ends with a singsong. Two in fact since we first get the jolly "Let's Get Hold of Hitler - String Him Up On High", before the inevitable happens and Lily Morris is persuaded to perform. And what else could she sing but her classic "Waiting at the Church". It's a crowd-pleasing moment that sends everyone home happy.
I Thank You doesn't have much in the way of classic scenes or one-liners, but it does have a plucky charm.
Script: Howard Irving Young, Val Guest, Marriott Edgar
Director: Marcel Varnel
Players: Graham Moffat, Wally Patch, Cameron Hall, Peter Gawthorne, Roberta Huby, Issy Bonn, Phyllis Morris
