LAUGHTER IN ABUNDANCE

Evening Star, Issue 23745, 28 November 1940, Page 14

LAUGHTER IN ABUNDANCE

SANDY POWELL FOR THE STATE Sandy Powell’s funniest film to date, the G.B.D. attraction, ‘All at Sea,’ will commence running at the State to-morrow. "All at Sea’ was produced with the full co-operation of the Admiralty. It is a rare distinction for a British film company to be given permission to take films of the Fleet at sea—and the strength of the Navy makes an imposing background for the comedy antics of Sandy Powell, W'ho plays the part of an ordinary A.B. seaman, always in some kind of trouble. Sandy Powell is employed as a messenger in a chemical factory. While carrying a small cylinder of high explosive—invented by Professor Myles, who, prompted by his daughter, Diana, has brought the invention to the factory—Sandy is given a similar package to deliver, and without thinking slips the explosive into his pocket. During the morning he is sacked, and after delivering the wrong package to the safe, leaves. He tries to get a job at the local cinema, but is directed to the wrong place and finds that he has joined the Navy and is entrained for Chatham Barracks immediately. Meanwhile, at the chemical factory, they have discovered the explosive is missing, and Brown and Williams, foreman and manager of the works, who intend to sell it to a foreign Power, blame Sandy. All efforts to discover Sandy’s whereabouts fail until Diana receives a postcard from Sandy telling her that he has joined the Navy. Williams suggests that he drive her down and sends Brown in advance to get the cylinder from Sandy. They arrange to meet later—in Marseilles.

Brown gets the cylinder, and when Diana and Williams arrive Sandy tells them that he has already given the cylinder to Brown. Williams accuses him of, lying. Sandy is called back by his officer to take his place in the tug-of-war team, and Williams tells Diana that Sandy must have stolen it. However, Sandy sees Brown getting into his car and hides in the back and is taken to Dover. There he meets Nobby, an old naval pal, who smuggles him on to H.M.S. Terrific, which is sailing for Marseilles. On board Sandy discovers that he should have been with the party drafted from Chatham to join the Terrific. Sandy is arrested for having stolen the cylinder. At Marseilles he is taken ashore by Bull, a petty officer, who has taken a dislike to Sandy. They take a taxi to start their journey back to England, and from this juncture Sandy’s adventures run on to an amusing finish.