The Butler's Dilemma (1943)
83 min | Comedy, Drama | 29 November 1943 (UK)
Sir Playfair's son pretends to be a manservant in his girlfriend's home for three days to work of a gambling debt, but he is really providing an alibi for jewel thief Slippery Jim.
Director: Leslie S. Hiscott
Writer: Michael Barringer
Stars: Francis L. Sullivan, Judy Kelly, Hermione Gingold
83 min | Comedy, Drama | 29 November 1943 (UK)
Sir Playfair's son pretends to be a manservant in his girlfriend's home for three days to work of a gambling debt, but he is really providing an alibi for jewel thief Slippery Jim.
Director: Leslie S. Hiscott
Writer: Michael Barringer
Stars: Francis L. Sullivan, Judy Kelly, Hermione Gingold
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Well, it is how Mr. Carmichael says, a masterpiece, yes?
00:05Yes. Pretty good.
00:08Grazie mille, signor.
00:10Look here, what's the idea of getting Vitello to do this on me?
00:12Oh, that was Carmichael's idea.
00:14Clifford's?
00:15Well, Rodney, old boy, I told Bishop how you hoaxed the whole school by dressing up as a stinks master.
00:20You were absolutely terrific. I haven't stopped laughing since.
00:23Do you remember?
00:26Yes, but that was when we were young and foolish.
00:29Yes, and now you're old and foolish, like that.
00:38Dio mio, it is a masterpiece.
00:40You cannot tell which from both.
00:42Mr. Preffer, will you come stand here, please?
00:48Go on, Rodney.
00:56Who are you?
00:58I'm Chapman.
01:00And so are you.
01:07But what does it mean?
01:09Just a minute. Watch.
01:11All right, Chapman, you can go.
01:21Do you notice the way he walked?
01:24You mean like this?
01:33Perfect. We're on a winner.
01:35You'll have to watch that walk, old boy.
01:37Shall I?
01:38Well, use your head, Rodney. It's no use looking like Chapman if you can't act like him.
01:41But why do I have to look like Chapman at all?
01:43It's only for about three days.
01:45What is?
01:46It'll be very difficult to explain to you if you don't pay attention.
01:48I'm sorry, old man. Where were we?
01:50It was because of Chapman having an accident that a poor old bishop got put on the spot.
01:54Poor old bishop?
01:55Yes. Before they gave Chapman the job, they insisted on having a photograph of him.
01:59Well, shouldn't they?
02:00Oh, Rodney, don't be so dumb.
02:02I'm sorry.
02:03Bishop got Chapman a job as a manservant. Is that clear?
02:06Yes.
02:07Yes. And his employers had a photograph of him.
02:09Yes.
02:10Well, just as things were getting critical, you came along.
02:13Oh. It's funny that I should come...
02:16What do you mean, then, I came along?
02:18Look here, paper.
02:19I hold your I.O.U. for 112 pounds, a gambling bet.
02:22Yes, but...
02:23Which Rodney naturally wishes to pay.
02:25Can you pay?
02:26Well, not at the moment, you see.
02:27Shall I ask your father to pay, or will you ask?
02:29Well, you can't do that. That would be the end of me.
02:31You don't know what my father's like.
02:32I shall soon find out when I go and see him.
02:34That would be a filthy trick.
02:36Surely there must be some other way out.
02:38There is.
02:39You'll take Chapman's place as a manservant for three days at an address I'll give you later,
02:43and no questions asked.
02:45Or else.
02:47You see, Rodney, old boy, I thought it would be an easy way out for you.
02:50It's right up your street.
02:51And think of the pay.
02:52Pay?
02:53Well, 112 pounds for three days' work as a manservant isn't too bad, is it?
02:57You do this for me, paper.
02:58At the end of three days, I'll give you back your I.O.U., and we'll call it quits.
03:02It's a wonderful way out. It's dead easy, and you owe it all to me.
03:05I suppose I could do it.
03:06In fact, it might be a bit of a lark.
03:08Come back here tomorrow night, and I'll fix you up with make-up,
03:10a suit of Chapman's clothes, and tell you the address to go to.
03:13All right, I'll do it. I'll be...
03:17Want to do a bit of dusting?
03:19We'll get on with it, ma'am.
03:20Go make a noise, Father. Cliff wants to hear this number.