Poor Old Bill

{{short description|1931 film}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = Poor Old Bill | image = | alt = | caption = | director = Monty Banks | producer = Walter C. Mycroft | screenplay = Val Valentine | based_on = an original story by Lola Harvey<br>& Syd Courtenay | starring = Leslie Fuller<br> Iris Ashley<br> Syd Courtenay | music = | cinematography = Claude Friese-Greene | editing = | studio = British International Pictures | distributor = Wardour Films {{small|(UK)}} | released = {{Film date|df=y|1931|06|22|UK}} | runtime = 51 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/poor-old-bill-synchronised-1931|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124072242/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/poor-old-bill-synchronised-1931|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 January 2018|title=POOR OLD BILL (SYNCHRONISED) - British Board of Film Classification|website=www.bbfc.co.uk}}</ref> | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Poor Old Bill''''' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Iris Ashley and Syd Courtenay.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090205140747/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/46766 BFI.org]</ref> It marked the film debut of a very young Peter Lawford, playing the child of the main character, Bill (Leslie Fuller).<ref name=tvguide/>

== Premise == A man sponges off an old comrade from the First World War who believes he has saved his life during the war, although this ultimately proves not to be true.

== Cast == * Leslie Fuller as Bill * Iris Ashley as Emily * Syd Courtenay as Harry * Peter Lawford as Horace * Hal Gordon as Jack * Robert Brooks Turner as Mick * Dick Francis as Constable

==Critical reception== ''TV Guide'' gave the film one out of four stars, calling it an "Interesting conception for a farce," but concluded that, "Unfortunately, the idea is carried on much too long, stretching what little material there is."<ref name=tvguide>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/movies/poor-old-bill/review/109423/|title=Poor Old Bill|website=TVGuide.com}}</ref>

== References == <references/>

== Bibliography == * Sutton, David R. ''A chorus of raspberries: British film comedy 1929–1939''. University of Exeter Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-0-85989-603-0}}.

== External links == * {{IMDb title|0290138}}

Category:1931 films Category:1931 comedy films Category:Films shot at British International Pictures Studios Category:1931 English-language films Category:Films directed by Monty Banks Category:British comedy films Category:British black-and-white films Category:1931 British films Category:English-language comedy films