I See Ice! (1938)

I See Ice was the 8th film George Formby had made, it fell in his classic period 1937-41 before the move from Ealing to Columbia. All of the familiar ingredients were in place, the essential part being the shy guy falling for the cultured girl (in this case the lovely Kay Walsh) and overcoming adversity to win her. With a few songs.

Here George is an aspiring photographer who is "commissioned" by a newspaper's boss to get pictures of the big ice hockey match – much against the organisers' wishes. His secret weapon is that the camera is ingeniously hidden. For much of the film he's on the run from the police who are steely and desperate to catch him as he had previously stopped the train to London and refused to pay the £5 fine or do the 14 days in prison. Nowadays of course, the British police are not even interested in apprehending violent street muggers because it only carries a caution – so much for progress! The songs are In My little Snapshot Album (in the baggage van), Oughts and Crosses (at the Lotus Club) and Mother What'll I Do Now (in his cell). Roddy McDowell has a brief scene on the train at the beginning (taking him to Hollywood?) and Garry Marsh has a good role as a very human newspaper editor with a nice girlfriend.

All in all, one of my favourite Formby's, utter nonsense to the uninitiated but a harmless little film with a nice atmosphere from another world.