The Public Life of Henry the Ninth

BFI Most Wanted: the hunt for Britain's missing films

Directed by Bernerd Mainwaring, 1935

The first ever Hammer production, a feel-good story about a street musician who transforms the fortunes of a dreary local pub and gets a lucky break into the big time.

Inside the 'Henry VIII' pub, where much of the action takes place

Credits

Director Production Company Producer	Bernerd Mainwaring Hammer Productions Henry Fraser Passmore
Cast: Leonard Henry (Henry), Betty Frankiss (Maggie), George Mozart (draughts player), Wally Patch (landlord), Mai Bacon (landlady), Aileen Latham (Liz), Herbert Langley (PC), Dorothy Vernon (Mrs Fickle).
60 mins, 5,472 feet, sound, black & white.

Why are we so keen to find it?

It's the first film released by Hammer Productions, later Hammer Film Productions, Britain's most profitable film studio in the 1950s and 60s, but at this point yet to specialise in the horror and sci-fi that became its stock in trade. The film also boasts the film debut of popular entertainer Leonard Henry, an early radio and television star.

What's it about?

Henry, a street musician, is persuaded by his girlfriend to take a job in a local public house as the potman (glass collector). This synopsis is taken from the film's press book:

Henry Henry, leader of a band of street musicians, is about to be moved on by the police when Maggie, his sweetheart, intervenes and persuades the policeman to give Henry another chance. The policeman agrees and suggests that Henry applies for the vacant job of potman at the local pub "Henry the VIII".

Henry gets the job and as the landlord has had eight potmen in the last twelve months, Henry calls himself "Henry the Ninth". Henry immediately sets himself out to brighten the atmosphere of the pub.

One day a little girl, left outside by her mother, is knocked over by a car and taken to hospital. Henry gets together his little band and gives an entertainment in the children's ward, which comes to the notice of the newspapers. A theatrical manager, attracted by the notices, approaches Henry with an offer to go on the stage, and Henry agrees to give a big show at the "Henry the VIII" on Saturday night. The place is crowded, and the show is a huge success, the theatrical manager giving contracts not only to Henry, but to his entire troupe.

Last seen?

Initially distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935, the film was re-issued by Exclusive in 1940.

What else do we know about it?

The title is clearly a playful tribute to Alexander Korda's 1933 epic The Private Life of Henry VIII, which won Britain's first ever best picture Oscar in 1934. Though the film has no known writer credit, correspondence held in the BFI's Special Collections (see below) identifies C.G.H. 'Bert' Ayres as co-author. In a letter to Stage, Screen and Radio (December 1996), John W. Mitchell, a sound camera assistant on The Public Life of Henry the Ninth, writes that 'The film was shot in two weeks... Editing was completed during the third week, as was the music scoring, and we dubbed the film on the following Saturday and Sunday". The BBFC report includes the following, "Appears quite harmless throughout, save that Henry's concert Part (p4) should be called 'The Raspberry Boys.'" Leonard Henry was famous for being the first person to blow a raspberry on radio!

Does anything survive?

The BFI holds some stills and a press book. The 'Bert' Ayres Collection in BFI Special Collections includes a handwritten manuscript draft, typescript copies, correspondence, an agreement about talking film rights and campaign sheets.

Reviews

Reviews from both the original 1935 release and the 1940 re-release praised leading man Leonard Henry: "a likeable character in his first film," thought the Monthly Film Bulletin (February 1935), "definitely a success." The same reviewer enjoyed the "good sidelights on Cockney life," and judged the film "good light entertainment without being riotously funny." Five years later, Cinema Today (17 April 1940) applauded the way Henry "has been given generous opportunities to exercise his talents with infectiously attractive results."

Kathleen Luckey, Curator (Television), BFI National Archive

You can find more about British films of the mid-1930s, including entries on surviving films and video clips for users in UK schools, colleges, universities and public libraries, at BFI Screenonline. You can also view similar titles at the BFI Mediatheques.