Sam Goes Shopping (1939) Online

This appears to have been an advertising feature promoting the Co-op -- as revealed by the nature of the item beginning with "D" once Sam finally remembers it...

Stanley Holloway is fairly unmistakable as the eponymous Sam. He narrates the whole episode (including the dialogue of the other characters, when they are seen to speak!) in the fashion of his famous "Lion and Albert" monologue, and it is quite funny if you like that sort of thing. I found it got a bit tedious as the list of "D"s that Sam rejects grew longer and longer, but if you stick it out to the end, the story takes a twist or two that had the audience laughing out loud. I admit that I totally failed to recognise Terry-Thomas in the part of the long-waiting boyfriend, but the nature of *his* 'item beginning with "D"' -- which, in common with the author, I won't repeat here! -- caught me by surprise and raised a definite chuckle.

From a technical point of view, the film is interesting in that it is produced in the Dufaycolor process and is essentially a silent with synchronised sound and narration superimposed over the top. For budgetary reasons, perhaps. But the acting is lively and effective, Sam is deeply irritating (thus achieving the presumed intent of impressing upon the audience the lengths to which the shop staff are prepared to go in serving this unprepossessing customer, in addition to the range of stock they have on offer), and as an advertising novelty one could do very much worse. I wonder in what sort of context this sort of thing would have been shown?