This was on the plane on a Qantas flight. Good old Qantas. It was fun to see again.
It doesn't start particularly well - the opening reels creak, the pacing isn't quite there, it's not that well conceived or edited. Hall was a better producer than director. Some of the gags didn't work for me - the busman's holiday and what not.
But as it went on it got better. There were so many subplots but they were well juggled - Dad taking over the dress shop, Dad's squabbling with a neighbour, the neighbour's son (Peter Finch) romancing Dad's daughter, Dad's other daughter wanting to run a dress shop, the housekeeper being possessive of the house, Dave lecherous in the dress job, the gay floor walker, the treacherous manager, the opposition dress shop owner, the PR guy who changes sides.
The film has a nice heart - Dad is very inclusive as long as you're not a treacherous snot (and wear a moustache - two villains have moustaches). Shirley Ann Richards is chirpy and talks like she went to a post school. Bert Bailey, Fred MacDonald, Sidney Wheeler and Alec Kellaway all act like they've done a LOT of theatre. Which is part of the film's appeal. Billy Rayes plays possibly the most sympathetic PR guy in film history.
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