Play Up the Band

Play Up the Band is a 1935 British musical comedy film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Stanley Holloway, Betty Ann Davies and Leslie Bradley.

Play Up the Band
Frank Atkinson, Betty Ann Davies and Stanley Holloway in a nightclub scene.
Directed by	Harry Hughes
Written by	Aveling Ginever Frank Atkinson Katherine Strueby Vernon Harris Harry Hughes
Produced by	Basil Humphrys Eric Donaldson
Starring	Stanley Holloway Betty Ann Davies Leslie Bradley Amy Veness
Cinematography	James Wilson
Edited by	Paul Capon
Music by	Eric Spear
Production company	City Films
Distributed by	Associated British Film Distributors
Release date	November 1935 (1935-11)
Running time	71 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The film was made at Ealing Studios by the independent company City Films. The film's sets were designed by art director R. Holmes Paul. Location shooting took place at the Crystal Palace, which burnt down the following year.

Synopsis

The brass band of the Northern town of Hechdyke travel south to London to compete in a national contest. In the capital Sam Small becomes mixed up in a series of adventures including a plot to steal Lady Heckdyke's pearls and the romantic relationship between Heckdyke's son and Small's cousin Betty. Mistakenly arrested for the theft of the pearls, Small has to race to reach The Crystal Palace in time for the competition.

Cast

• Stanley Holloway as Sam Small
• Betty Ann Davies as Betty Small
• Leslie Bradley as Jack
• Frank Atkinson as Alf Ramsbottom
• Charles Sewell as Lord Hechdyke
• Amy Veness as Lady Heckdyke
• Cynthia Stock as Vera
• Julie Suedo as Marquise de Vaux
• Arthur Gomez as Marquis de Vaux
• Hal Gordon as Bandmaster
• Louise Selkirk and her Ladies Orchestra as Themselves
• The London Brass Band as Themselves

Bibliography

• Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
• Perry, George. Forever Ealing. Pavilion Books, 1994.
• Sutton, David R. A Chorus of Raspberries: British Film Comedy 1929-1939. University of Exeter Press, 2000.
• Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

• Play Up the Band at IMDb