Windbag the Sailor


Windbag the Sailor is a 1936 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Hay. The film marked the first appearance of Hay with Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott acting as his straight men, however both Moffatt and Marriott had previously acted in films starring Hay, namely in Dandy Dick and Where There's a Will, respectively.

Plot

Ben Cutlet is a retired barge captain who entertains his bar room audience with tales of his alleged days at sea, although his maritime experience extends no further than navigating a coal barge. His tall tales catch him out when he is conned into commanding the unseaworthy Rob Roy to the West Indies by a gang of criminals who mean to scuttle the ship for the insurance money. Cutlet gets the upper hand however when he and his companions fall in with West Indian natives who mistake their radio set for a god.

Cast

Writing for The Spectator in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, recommending it to "those under sixteen". Greene praised Beaudine for his "admirabl direct", and noted that Hay "has never had a better part than that of Captain Ben Cutlett".