Ask a Policeman (1939) in Color — Starring Will Hay & Graham Moffatt

Ask a Policeman (1939) — Buy This Classic in Color

Experience the uproarious British comedy classic Ask a Policeman (1939) Colorized, directed by Marcel Varnel, starring the legendary comedy trio of Will Hay, Moore Marriott, and Graham Moffatt as the three most incompetent policemen in England — Sergeant Dudfoot, ancient Constable Harbottle, and rotund young Constable Brown — whose sleepy coastal village has been completely free of crime for so long that the authorities threaten to close their station, prompting the bumbling trio to manufacture their own crimes to justify their existence, only to stumble upon a real smuggling operation using the legend of a headless horseman as cover, now available for purchase in stunning color for just €15.00. This digitally enhanced version brings this beloved classic to vivid new life. Own this DRM-free digital download today.

Plot Summary

The peaceful English coastal village of Doone-in-the-Marsh has not experienced a single crime in living memory, which is fortunate because its three-man police force would be utterly incapable of dealing with one. Sergeant Samuel Dudfoot is a pompous bluffer who has risen to his modest rank through sheer luck and the complete absence of anything requiring actual policing. Constable Albert Harbottle is an ancient, doddering relic who can barely stay awake, and Constable Ernest ‘Nougat’ Brown is a well-fed young man whose interest in food far exceeds his interest in law enforcement.

When the Chief Constable reviews the district’s crime statistics and discovers that Doone-in-the-Marsh is the only station in England with absolutely no arrests, no reports, and no activity of any kind, he threatens to close the station and reassign its officers. Panic ensues — the trio will lose their easy, comfortable positions.

Dudfoot conceives a desperate plan: they will stage a crime wave to justify their continued employment. The three policemen set about manufacturing burglaries, disturbances, and mysterious incidents, each scheme more farcically bungled than the last.

But their manufactured crimes are nothing compared to the real criminal activity that has been going on right under their noses. The coastal village’s proximity to the sea has made it the base for a cunning smuggling operation, using the local legend of a headless horseman to frighten away anyone who ventures near the cliffs at night. The smugglers have been operating with impunity precisely because the local police are too incompetent to notice.

When Dudfoot, Harbottle, and Brown accidentally stumble upon the smuggling ring while staging their fake crimes, they find themselves in genuine danger for the first time in their careers. The trio must somehow apprehend real criminals despite having absolutely no idea how to do actual police work.

Cast & Crew

Director: Marcel Varnel

Stars: Will Hay as Sergeant Dudfoot, Moore Marriott as Constable Harbottle, Graham Moffatt as Constable Brown, Peter Gawthorne as Chief Constable, Herbert Lomas as Doone Squire

Will Hay, Moore Marriott, and Graham Moffatt were the most beloved comedy team in British cinema, their complementary characters — the pompous bluffer, the senile ancient, and the greedy young man — creating a dynamic that British audiences adored.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The colorization of Ask a Policeman brings the charming English coastal village to delightful life — the deep blue of the English Channel stretching beyond the white chalk cliffs, the warm golden stone of the village police station with its overgrown garden and general air of disuse, the bright blue uniforms and silver buttons of the three policemen dressed in their finest for inspection, the rich green of the English countryside surrounding the village, the dark brown of weathered wooden boats pulled up on the shingle beach, the warm amber of lantern light in the cozy police station where the trio plan their schemes, the ghostly white of the headless horseman galloping through moonlit lanes, the deep blue-black of nighttime scenes on the cliff tops where smuggling boats approach the shore, the bright red of the village inn’s painted sign where locals gather for evening pints, and the misty gray-green of the English coastal landscape at dawn. Now also available in colour. Buy Ask a Policeman (1939) Colorized today for €15.00 and own this beloved classic in a DRM-free format.

Historical Significance

Ask a Policeman is widely considered the finest film made by the Will Hay, Moore Marriott, and Graham Moffatt comedy trio — one of the most beloved partnerships in the history of British cinema. The three performers worked together in a series of classic comedies throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, developing a chemistry and comic timing that British audiences found irresistible. Their character dynamic — Hay as the incompetent authority figure, Marriott as the ancient subordinate who has seen everything, and Moffatt as the young glutton — provided an infinitely adaptable framework for comedy. The film was produced at Gainsborough Studios and directed by Marcel Varnel, who specialized in bringing out the best in British comedians. Ask a Policeman’s combination of village comedy, smuggling adventure, and supernatural spoofing represents British screen comedy at its most enjoyable, and the film remains genuinely funny today — a testament to the timeless quality of well-crafted character comedy. Through colorization, this classic British comedy is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes, professional AI-assisted colorization
• Audio: Original English mono soundtrack
• Runtime: Approximately 83 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Who were Will Hay, Moore Marriott, and Graham Moffatt?
A: They were the most popular comedy team in 1930s-40s British cinema. Will Hay played pompous incompetent authority figures, Moore Marriott was the doddering old sidekick, and Graham Moffatt the cheeky rotund youth.

Q: Is this a mystery or a comedy?
A: It is primarily a comedy with mystery and adventure elements. The smuggling plot provides structure, but the real pleasure is watching the three incompetent policemen blunder through every situation.

Q: Is the headless horseman scene scary?
A: The headless horseman sequence is played entirely for comedy rather than scares, with the trio’s terrified reactions providing the humor. It is more Scooby-Doo than horror film.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file in HD 720p resolution, compatible with virtually all modern devices and media players.

Q: Is the download DRM-free?
A: Yes, your purchase is completely DRM-free. You own the file outright and can watch it on any device without restrictions or recurring fees.

Q: How quickly will I receive the download?
A: Your download link is available immediately after payment is confirmed. You can begin watching Ask a Policeman (1939) Colorized within minutes of your purchase.

Related Colorized Classics

• Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)
• My Learned Friend (1943)
• The Black Sheep of Whitehall (1942)
• Boys Will Be Boys (1935)
• Good Morning, Boys! (1937)