Missing, Believed Married

Directed by John Paddy Carstairs

This long-lost British comedy features a wealthy heiress rescued from the clutches of a scheming foreigner by a pair of bumbling market traders. But the plot plays second fiddle to the comedic performances of stalwarts Wally Patch (one of Britain’s most prolific character actors) and the much-loved Margaret Rutherford. Patch and Vedey make a dynamic double-act whose clowning keeps the film zipping along, while Rutherford’s imperious proclamations on etiquette are priceless. Irene Handl adds some ooh-la-la to the role of a French maid, and director Carstairs ably keeps them all under control.