The Love Match (1955) User Reviews

If you pulled your socks up you'd blindfold yourself.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 2 July 2011]

The Love Match is directed by David Paltenghi and based on a play by Glenn Melvyn who also co-stars with Arthur Askey. Also featuring are Thora Hird, Shirley Eaton, Danny Ross, William Franklyn and Edward Chapman. Arthur Grant is the photographer and Wilfred Burns scores the original music.

After a sequence of events sees him arrested for the assault of a football referee, train driver Bill Brown (Askey) has to use some of the railway man's holiday fund to cover his fine. Desperate for the cash, Bill and his pal Wally (Melvyn) look to run a book on the upcoming United v City football match. But with his daughter Rose (Eaton) trying to win a dancing competition, and his son Arthur (Franklyn) about to make his debut for United, family strife is also taking a hold.

This was the first film that Arthur Askey made after a ten year absence from the big screen. It's typical boisterous fare, filled out with old time jokes and set piece frivolity. The story is a solid one, although it really helps if you are British and understand local football rivalry, while the cast around Askey perform to a high standard. There's some laugh out loud moments, such as one jitterbugging sequence, whilst the appearance of classic steam trains and rail yards carry with it a certain historical charm. All in all it's good harmless comedy fare for those who like Askey and similar British films of this ilk. 6.5/10

A True British Classic

[robert-elliott7 · 8/10 · 9 May 2007]

i first saw this movie many years ago when British television used to show afternoon matinées.it is one of those movies that is once watched it is hard to forget. So many wonderful scenes, most famous probably being Danny Ross's unbeatable pratfall.The cast is a virtual who's who of the British music hall. apart from the legendary Arthur Askey, you have the aforementioned Danny Ross, the wonderful Glenn Melvyn (Who incidentally gave Ronnie Barker his first break in television,who in turn based his shopkeeper Arkwright from Open All Hours on Melvyn's Stage act).

Who can forget the ever reliable Thora Hird and Patricia Hayes. There was also a young Shirley Eaton 8 years before she turned up covered in gold paint in Goldfinger.There was also William Franklyn (remember him from TVs Masterspy),Edward Chapman who would later be famous as Mr Grimsdale in many a Norman Wisdom Film. Another famous music hall star was Robb Wilton who played the judge who Askey helps fill in his football coupon.Incidentally there was 2 spin off TV series from this classic Love and kisses in 1955 and I'm not bothered in 1956. Wouldn't it be wonderful if British TV started to repeat shows like this or at least release them on D.V.D.

Good cast and still very funny

[jsouth-3 · 8/10 · 17 January 2007]

Arthur Askey was a major British television star from the 1950s onwards but still found time to star in a number of good solid comedies. Most of his best work was during the Second World War but Love Match must also rank as one of his best films. Askey and friend Wally (Glenn Melvyn) drive a steam locomotive for a living but his real passion is football and in particular his local team United. The plot starts here and manages to pack in a lot; an argument with the referee (Franklyn) at a match; an appearance before the magistrate (a lovely Rob Wilton cameo) his daughter (Eaton) in a dance contest, her romance with Alfie Hall (Ross), his son (Kenney) getting the chance to play professionally - but for City, shock at meeting the new lodger (Franklyn again) and various dodges to replace some stolen holiday money - all in 85 minutes!

The script based on a play by Melvyn gives plenty of opportunity for the talented cast to shine. In particular Danny Ross stands out - a fine comedian, in the Lancashire tradition of the gormless simpleton, he seems to have made far too few films. This is the only one I have seen so far. His main legacy seems to have been appearing as the same Alf Hall character in the long running radio show 'The Clitheroe Kid' (1958-1972). Still worth hearing if you get the chance.

Remembering a childhood film.

[Chris-913 · 6 April 2000]

As a child of 6 or 7 years I found all of Arthur Askey's 1950's films hilarious, this one in particular as it contained the following gag:

Alf Hall is Rose Brown's dimwitted boy friend. When he knocks on the Brown's front door for the very first time Bill Brown opens it and all Alf can do is splutter out his name "Alf 'all, Alf 'all." Bill's reply is "Don't worry I'll catch you."

That little scene has stayed in my mind for more than forty years!

Sensation:Askey funny in a film

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 24 August 2013]

Some of Askey's 1940s efforts are absolutely dire.It is little surprise when he stopped making films after "Bees In Paradise" which is truly awful.So it is something of a surprise to see how good he is in this film.Mind you he shortly returned to dismal form with "Ransbottom Rides Again".clearly he was very reliant on his material.Glenn Melvyn's screen play is funny and clearly tailor made for Askey.the whole film is very nostalgic with steam engines and views of Burnden Park and The Valley.There are a lot of film of matches which are extremely interesting.There is one notable continuity howler.Askey's son is playing against a team with dark shirts,however in the inert he hi playing against a team in white.A real bonus for lovers of music hall is the scene in the magistrates court with the great Robb Wilton doing part of his famous act.Worh seeing just for that.

Funny Movie Should Have Been Trimmed

[boblipton · 7/10 · 4 December 2017]

Arthur Askey and Glenn Melvyn are a pair of football-mad railway men . Askey has misplaced fifty pounds of union money, his daughter Shirley Eaton has a new ballroom dancing partner and boyfriend who's the son of the Manchester United manager, and his son has just gotten a position on United --- problem is Askey is a City fanatic.

It's based on a play that Melvyn wrote -- the leads took seven weeks off from the run to make the movie and it's been opened up nicely for the screen. The problem is that in opening it up, they didn't trim the other parts, so that at 85 minutes, it has a few scenes that seem to lead no place in particular and could well have been cut, despite the wonderful, lightning-fast speed at which everyone babbles the comic Manchester dialogue and takes staccato pratfalls -- Danny Ross, as Eaton's love interest, looks as if all his falls were viciously undercranked.

A little nugget

[tinahaskman · 10/10 · 5 August 2000]

As a 10-year old boy, I was taken by my Dad to see "Invaders from Mars" with Leif Ericson. We left talking about the support feature, Arthur Askey in "The Love Match". Typically English and Lancashire to boot, it has soccer and steam trains, what more could a young boy want. A young Shirley Eaton (painted gold in Goldfinger) is a delight despite her over-the-top Lancashire accent and what can I say about Danny Ross, who all but steals the show as Rose Brown's young man (his party-piece is a pratfall with instant recovery - very funny). Arthur Askey is a joy (but then I'm biased) and to see Rob Wilton as the magistrate was the icing on the cake. A gentle comedy that leads me to the timeless cliché 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' and more's the pity.

SO funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ruth-pudney · 10/10 · 9 May 2006]

An absolutely wonderful film.

I was brought up on Arthur Askey and Will Hay films, so I can appreciate the humour. Arthur Askey is my favourite comedian. This has to be one of my favourite films.

The line where Bill says to his wife Sal, 'He'll never make an engine driver, that Wally. His eyes aren't far enough apart to see through the engine windows'. Absolutely priceless!!! The cast is great, with both Arthur and Thora Hird putting in great performances. Also, an hilarious turn from Rob Wilton.

I would recommend this film to anyone who likes silliness! Especially of the Askey variety.

(FYI the guy who played Wally, is, apparently, who Ronnie Barker copied his stutter from in Open All Hours)

Too frantic

[atrickyone · 5/10 · 25 November 2021]

Alas I can't endorse the generally very positive reviews here. Arthur Askey was never a favourite of mine but he's actually one of the most amusing characters in the film, but he's still outshone by his wife played by Thora Hird, a consummate professional comic actress. William Franklyn is wasted and frankly miscast as a referee who ends up as a lodger in Askey's house. Glenn Melvyn who wrote the original play is Askey's co-worker on the railways but unfortunately he has an intermittent stutter or speech impediment, something I can't abide in any role. The absolute worst was Danny Ross as the dance partner / love interest of Shirley Eaton as Askey's daughter. Ross has a remarkable skill reminiscent of Buster Keaton at bouncing up after a pratfall, but that aside was as funny as stubbing you toe. He was a total dimwit with a voice like a George Formby impersonator but for some unaccountable reason the glamorous Eaton falls for him.

The best thing about the film was Robb Wilton as the magistrate with a weakness for getting distracted. I've heard audio recordings of him but didn't know he had been in any films.

True there's some old footage of matches in Lancashire stadiums and occasional steam locomotives, which seems to have excited some reviewers, goodness knows why.

There were a few sporadic decent laughs at some individual lines but that was about it. Some plot elements just fizzled out and needed trimming or excising completely, so the upshot was a film that was both overlong and frantic, an unenviable combination.

There are scores of better English comedies from the 1950s; this one's mediocre.

A Great Comic Slice Of Life

[crossbow0106 · 10/10 · 30 October 2008]

This is a very funny film from the mid 50's about Bill who is a railway motorman who is a giant football (soccer) fan. He goes to a match with his co-worker Wally (played by the writer of this gem, Glenn Melvyn) and by accident he hits the referee with a pie in the face. He is hauled off to court and fined 5 pounds, but Wally, who is deliberately dim in the film, hands the bag of money which was for a railwaymen party to someone who promptly uses the money to pay her fine of 50 pounds. So, how are they going to get the money back? There are other characters in this film, namely Bill's wife, who has great one liners, his son who is going to play football for the team Bill hates and his daughter, the stunning Shirley Eaton, who is entered in a dance contest in Liverpool. This is a great comedy about a family and their own part of the world. The screenplay by Mr. Melvyn is superb, and there are genuinely hilarious moments. No matter what kind of comedy you like, this is very highly recommended. Its crisp, the wit keeps flowing and the laughs are plenty. What more can you ask for?

It's soccer, not sock him!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 11 July 2022]

Someone should have told train conductor Arthur Askey that at the very beginning of this very noisy working class British comedy, rushing his train to the end of the line faster than they should so he can get to the local stadium on time and get a ticket to the local football (soccer) game. The referee ends up with pie in the puss thanks to the aggravated Askey, and he becomes a notorious character in his neighborhood as his family problems come to light.

There's a few sweet moments that gives the viewer the opportunity to rest their ears, particularly between Askey's wife (the very funny Thora Bird who walks off with the film) and their sexpot daughter (Shirley Eaton), flipping her gold finger to the boy who dumps her and ending up with dorky Danny Ross who's cute but has a voice that makes dogs yowl. In fact, a lot of the voices here have that effect here, not just because of the strong dialect but the pitch as well. It's played for farce which makes it all the louder, so have aspirin available. I enjoyed Askey's earlier comedies so I thought I'd like this one. Sadly disappointed.

Askey on a winner!

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 27 June 2016]

There are only two or three dull moments in this remake of the TV version (which also starred Askey of course). And both were based on a stage presentation in which of course, Askey was the lead. So, it was all hands in the money bin to make this one faster, funnier and far more chucklesome. Well, I'm pleased to report that they all succeeded brilliantly. There are only one or two dull moments in the whole movie, and maybe only another two or three in which I thought Askey's comebacks misfired, although no doubt they worked well on the stage. I also thought the super-super-super-super beautiful Shirley Eaton deserved a far more attractive partner, but maybe the casting director wanted to show that even the plainest lad had a chance to score with the most attractive lass in all England. The rest of the cast, led by Thora Hird (who is actually billed first, would you believe, on the excellent Slam Dunk DVD), was superb.

60 year old male fond of British comedy and thriller shows and films

[ivanlythgoe · 10/10 · 5 May 2005]

Danny Ross was one of the funniest actors I remember from being young.The "Alf all" sketch with Arthur Askey "Don't worry I'll catch you" was brilliant and unforgettable.

Genuinely they don't make films as clever and quick witted as these anymore and whilst they are very nostalgic they are certainly sharp comedies. I saw Jimmy Clitheroe on the pier at Blackpool many times as a lad and other names such as Kenn Dodd where I got his autograph and Ken signed it to me "Yours Toothfully" In addition I saw Morecame and Wise in their early days in Blackpool However the Clitheroe Kid was something else and there was never one show which did not have me in hysterics. Great cast and funny lines. Brilliant. BBC 7 needs to put on more