Happening upon an oldie like this, thanks to Talking Pictures TV channel, is just fabulous. Funny, silly and endearing, these films are as much a history lesson as a comedy.
Completely showing the stars' roots in music hall, this is a good-natured madcap romp through the WAAFs as they recruit to a barrage balloon unit. The last 5-10 minutes are almost entirely documentary-style footage of barrage balloon training and operation, well worth watching if you part of the 'lighter than air' crowd.
Popular radio duo Ethel Revnell (the tall one) and Gracie West (the little one with the long nose) looked even more comical than they sounded, so they were naturals for movies and get to impersonate WAAFs and a pair of schoolgirls while stumbling across a pair of German spies engaged in stealing blueprints.The title refers to barrage balloons and the daffy duo actually get to sing a title song exhalting them while we are treated to uplifting actuality footage of the real things in action.
This film stars radio comedians Revnell and West and crooner Donald Peers.Top billed is Ronnie Shiner who would reach stardom after the war.
As unfamiliar as I was as a Yank with the British radio comedy team of Ethel Revnell and Gracie West, I must admit that approximately 20 minutes into this film, I began to become slightly amused by their silly antics. At first, I was horrified, finding their schtick to be something like what you would see in an early talkie short.
