Let's Be Famous

Jimmy O'Dea - Jimmy Houlihan
Betty Driver - Betty Pinbright
Milton Rosmer - Albert Pinbright
Sonnie Hale - Finch
Patrick Barr - Johhny Blake
Basil Radford - Watson
Garry Marsh - BBC Official

Many of those involved in the film, including Irish comedian Jimmy O'Dea, teamed up here with Sonnie Hale went on to the much more substantial Cheer Boys Cheer. Though a tedious experience, Let's be Famous is of interest in two ways: 1) for its picture of the BBC of the time, and the triangle formed by BBC stuffiness, the vulgarity of the advertising world, and the Northern genuineness of the heroine and 2) for the generation conflict, akin to that in so many Ealing films around this time. An Irishman is determined to become a singing radio star. Unfortunately, Fate seems to be determined to thwart him at every turn in this comedy.

The trouble begins when he leaves his Irish village to go to a British radio station where he believes he is going to get his big chance to sing. Unfortunately, he soon discovers that he is to be a contestant in a spelling bee. This enrages him and he winds up throwing a major fit on the air. The resulting publicity lands him a talent agent who believes that the recent press will make the Irishman a singing star. It is not to be, and the agent loses his job. He and the Irishman end up drowning their sorrows, commandeering a sports broadcast where their drunken comments and shenanigans inspire the station to hire them as comedians.
Extract© Charles Barr: Ealing Studios.