Tons of Trouble (1956)

Director:

Leslie S. Hiscott

Writers:

John Barrow (story)
Richard Hearne (writer)
(more)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Cast

Richard Hearne	...	Mr. Pastry
William Hartnell	...	Bert
Austin Trevor	...	Sir Hervey Shaw
Joan Marion	...	Angela Shaw
Robert Moreton	...	Jevons
Ralph Truman	...	Inspector Bridger
Ronald Adam	...	Psychiatrist
Junia Crawford	...	Diana Little
Tony Quinn	...	Cracknell
John Stuart	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yvonne Hearne	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Leslie S. Hiscott

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Barrow		story
Richard Hearne		writer
Leslie S. Hiscott		writer

Produced by
Richard Hearne	....	producer
Elizabeth Hiscott	....	producer

Cinematography by
Norman Warwick

Art Direction by
Terence Verity

Production Management
Victor Peck	....	production manager

Production Companies

• Shaftesbury Films

Distributors

• Renown Pictures Corporation (1956) (UK) (theatrical)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

UK

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Shaftesbury Films

Distant memory

This is tricky, because I last saw this movie on TV in about 1965. The central character, 'Mr Pastry', played by Richard Hearne, was a popular knockabout comic, still busy at that time, and I, as a child, welcomed any appearance by him on the television. He looked like a little old man with fluffy white hair and moustache, and a dark suit and hat.

As far as I know this was Mr Pastry's only feature film. The title refers to the huge boilers that are used to heat an office building, and Mr Pastry is the caretaker, who has looked after them all his working life. Trouble arises when the system is to be modernised, and oil heaters installed, meaning that the big old boilers will be scrapped, along with their loving caretaker.

I'm sure this film is full of slapstick and chases, but the only scene that remains in my mind is poor old Mr Pastry saying his good-byes to his boilers. They have names (one, I'm sure, is Bessie), and I think I remember the whole thing as being quite touching.

I also remember that it all turns out okay in the end. I hope this film is still intact somewhere, and someone sees fit to give it a TV airing one afternoon. It's a comedy about a changing world, and in 1965, it was shown at peak time in the evening, which just goes to show how the world continues to change.