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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Basil Dearden
UK 1956

 

Comedy legend Benny Hill (The Italian Job) stars as Hugo Dill, an inept ice rink attendant, amateur detective and extremely clumsy master of disguise. When Hugo stumbles into an international espionage plot, he’s thrown into a crazy case of mistaken identity, murderous spies, a bumbling romance with a beautiful strongwoman (Belinda Lee, Messalina) and a top-secret machine that can control the world’s weather. David Kossoff (The Mouse That Roared) co-stars in this Ealing Studios slapstick hit directed by the great Basil Dearden (Dead of Night, The Mind Benders) and written by T.E.B. Clarke (The Lavender Hill Mob).

***

This movie debut for saucy British TV comic Benny Hill has Benny leaving his job as a sweeper after winning some money. He becomes a private detective and investigates a plot to assassinate British scientists.

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 18th, 1956

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Also available on Blu-ray in the UK by Network:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:23:01.393        
Video

1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,234,800,986 bytes

Feature: 26,013,788,160 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,234,800,986 bytes

Feature: 26,013,788,160 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalist and Author Bryan Reesman
The Waiters: A 1969 30-Minute Short Film Written by and Starring Benny Hill (30:17)
Trailers


Blu-ray Release Date:
June 1st, 2021
Standard Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase

Chapters 9

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (May 2021): Kino have transferred Basil Dearden's Who Done It? to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "4K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative". The image quality is very strong. It is remarkably tight with beautifully layer contrast. There is no damage nor speckles. The visuals are excellent in 1080P. 

NOTE: We have added 48 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. The are plenty of effects, sometimes goofy, but also car chases, and a music number on skates. The score is by Philip Green (The Girl Hunters, The Man Who Finally Died, Basil Dearden's Victim, Sapphire and All Night Long, The League of Gentlemen) sounding as clean and effective as the image quality. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman - who also did the Kino Blu-ray commentary on The Blue Lamp. He's certainly done his research finding many extraneous links to Hill and his many personas, the interesting short life of Belinda Lee, the varied career of Basil Deaden and some of the supporting cast as well as T.E.B. Clarke, who wrote both Who Done It? and The Blue Lamp. He discusses Benny Hill and his more ribald television show quite a lot and that Hill was friends with Jacques Tati employing his 'school of thought', references to Three Stooges, Keaton, Chaplin (who liked Hill's work!) and more. It is an excellent commentary finding interesting information throughout. Kino also include the 1/2 hour short The Waiters from 1969 written by and starring Benny Hill, It's a dialogue-free rendition of a posh dinner party ruined by two boorish waiters. There are also trailers though none for the film.

Basil Dearden's Who Done It? is pretty much what you might expect - far less cheesecake (unlike how some posters may portray) than Benny Hill's TV show and without Boots Randolph's Yackety Sax theme, but a real genre-mix with the slapstick and sight-gags filling the time. It's certainly dated, getting tiresome quickly, and I can't really find appealing comparisons. The Kino Blu-ray offers an excellent a/v presentation and the inclusion of the commentary and comedic short give it value. There would be some nostalgic value as well. Many may not appreciate the film today.

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Also available on Blu-ray in the UK by Network:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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