The Very Reverend Richard Jedd has a problem: the church spire, now in a parlous state of repair, will cost nearly £1,000 to fix. When various money-raising schemes go awry, he is persuaded to waive his principles and bet what’s left of his savings on Dandy Dick, a 10-1 odds-on at the local races. A simple tonic to enhance the nag’s performance seems a good idea… but when the butler decides to intervene, the respectable clergyman finds himself in the middle of a doping scandal – and worse!
Acting
Will Hay's magnificent flustered vicar energy carries every scene.
Writing
Witty farce structure that just keeps escalating beautifully.
Director
William Beaudine
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Will Hay was a massive star in 1930s Britain, and this was one of his final films before retiring early due to health issues—making his frantic energy here unintentionally poignant.
The film adapts a 1935 Arthur Wing Pinero play that satirized Victorian moralism; the movie softens some edges but keeps the core absurdity of respectable people unraveling.
GB
