Will Hay "Oh Mister Porter" - You're wasting your time!"

Willie is keen to plant his lobelias. Unfortunately the cretinous village postman is equally keen to point out that he's "wasting his time". 1937. One of the greatest comedy moments of all time, in my opinion.

[@truehonda]

Love these films, Moore Marriott is (was) my Great Grandad, so it's fab to see he still lives on.

[@lk4543]

I didnt know him but his face and silly grin has a special place in my heart "If I cant be Gladstone then Im not going to play"

[@lk4543]

and his excellent use of the word "...Eh???" and his skilfull portrayal of an old endearing fumbling buffoon will always be remembered

[@williamnethercott4364]

Moore Marriott was a brilliant actor. Superb and underrated performance in Flying Scotsman, not to mention the comedy roles he played.

[@SamauraiRippeR]

Of the few Will Hay films I've seen, "Oh, Mister Porter" is my favorite by far. I am only 19 and still think these are funnier than a lot of modern comedies.

[@StarWarsJay]

How do you feel now your 28? Lol

[@SamauraiRippeR]

@@StarWarsJay haven't actually gone back and seen these for a while. Thanks for the reminder.

[@TheLongNeckGamer]

You're 30 now so here's another reminder ;-)

[@jamesfraney3519]

The actor playing the village postman played the part of Harbottle in Will Hay's music hall (British Vaudeville) sketches which found their way into some of his films. I was lucky enough to have Sir Patrick Moore as a lecturer at college in the 1970s and he was a good friend of Will Hay due to their membership of the British Astronomical Society. Will Hay was the son of a lift (elevator) engineer and had a very good technical background. He was a very serious and intelligent man in real life and an acomplished astronomer. He was also a great comic actor who sadly broke up the trio of Hay, Marriott and Moffatt during World War II. They made a great team. Moore Marriott was one of the most prolific actors in British Film history, whose film career started before World War I. He and Will Hay both died in 1949 in their sixties. A great loss to British cinema. Grahame Moffatt died in 1965 in his forties. He was the archetypal "fat" boy of British cinema. He and Moore Marriott appeared together in a few of Arthur Askey's wartime movies after splitting with Will Hay but are largely remembered today for their partnership with Hay.

[@cosycleaner]

"What are ye buryin'?" Still makes me laugh after first seeing this film 45 years ago. A masterpiece.

[@markbarker8034]

Great stuff. I must have watched this classic a hundred times.

[@swallin19]

Will Hay at his finest, and Moore Marriot on form as well, great script, with Marcel Varnel directing to perfection. A delight to watch.

[@SamauraiRippeR]

"You're wasting your time!" has become an in-joke between me and my father now. This film was first shown to me when I was about 12 and I loved it. This is my second favorite Black & White movie, coming just behind Helzapoppin'!

[@lk4543]

that line is a classic, guarranteed to bring a smile to anyone who *knows* they wont be there when they start pushing up

[@leedobson]

This classic is one of the true greats of British cinema

[@chrislaf2011]

every time I watch this, it gives me hysterics! It's just surreal, the old buffer telling him he's "wasting your time"! And the double take of disbelief from Will Hay is so good.

[@jessymessy10]

this film is the best ever ,me and my brother drove from swansea to cliddeston,our misses thought we where nuts,but i smield all the way home to think ,i was there where they filmed the best film ever.

[@helterskelter7422]

Can't stop watching this clip.. Cracks me up every time. 😂.. Classic. The best comedy & nothing beats it for me today.

[@ISLEOFWIGHTARCHIVE]

the greatest film quote in history.can watch it a thousand times and still find it funny.when we visited cliddesden,near basingstoke where they filmed this we just couldn`t help quoting this line every five seconds.classic stuff

[@mickleem]

fantastic!!!! Filmed at Cliddesden station near Basingstoke Hants in June of 1937.. Just a brilliant old classic from the master of comedy.

[@a1b2c3d4e5f699]

One of the greatest comedy films ever made. Will Hay,Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt,3 legends of film comedy.We will never see their like again.

[@Mustaine1ify]

IAN KERMAN Yeh they were shown a lot back in the 80s funny guys.

[@austinmcaleese8212]

brillant film talking pictures TV should show will hay films these great actors should never be forgotten.

[@barrychambers7854]

Austin McAleese You’ve finally got your wish. It’s on today 😃

[@rarebutgreat]

I loved this film from the day that I first saw it. It never fails to cheer me up Its a timeless British classic , The next trains gone

[@gamewizard7562]

Aww, it got cut where Harbottle kicks the chocolate dispenser. That was a good scene. I liked his response to Will Hay when he asks "What do you think the slots for?" "To blow down if the kick doesn't work!" Funny stuff.

[@37427]

"You're wasting your time!" PMSL, has to be the best quote from the entire film, absolute classic!

[@amarpreetsingh7066]

My friend...its good to hear from you

[@inquisitor229]

A marvellous collection of eccentric yokels. :>)

[@garyandleslied]

I'm in the United States and just beginning to discover some of the British movies. Will Hay is very funny.

[@MikeSparrow]

I'm only 14 years old and this is a fav film of mine

[@phaasch]

A few months ago at work, I trotted this phrase out as a throwaway to someone. Since then, several times a day at least, you'll hear someone, somewhere in the building squeaking "Yr wasting yr tyme!" Wish I'd never started it!

[@cosycleaner]

Yes agreed, a hilarious episode in a masterly film.

[@pineapplepenumbra]

I still say that to people, they look at me like I'm mad when I point out, in a slighty high pitched voice, "you wastin' your time!" I can't imagine why.

[@Mrpiltdownman]

Absolute timeless brilliance! The humour transcends the years, could anybody today hold a candle to will hay and his crew?

[@norristerse]

my favourite line in this film is where hay and marriot are looking for wood to burn on the engine and come upon some old wooden station signs. "you can't burn these, these are place names... dublin, cork...(picks out a sign saying "gentlemen") ...cheltenham- oh, you can burn that one"

[@MikeSparrow]

I have, The Ghost of St Michaels is another favourite of mine.

[@amarpreetsingh7066]

A rare chance to re livea glorious chapter

[@speariett]

love will hay, better than films of today

[@racingrubberbiker]

It is a national disgrace that the major british tv channels hardy ever show will hay films. Much better than Monty Python

[@offrampt]

The farmer is saying that his wife has had quinsy, which wikipedia says is "Peritonsillar abscess, also called quinsy or abbreviated as PTA, is a recognised complication of tonsillitis." He is not saying his wife had 5 children at once. But Will Hay thinks that that IS what he meant. That's the joke.

[@Itsallfun3000]

I have lobelia for this very reason!

[@paulquinn7980]

Is he a relation of yours no But we go out with the same girl classic comedy😂 😂

[@paulrhino3439]

Faf. Class.

[@37427]

Hahaha, that was the best line in the entire film.

[@bohsblur]

will hay was a funny guy, class.

[@offrampt]

During this film, at at 19mins 35secs, roughly, there is a good joke that youngsters might not get: HAY: You should have come sooner! FARMER MURPHY: I couldn't, my wife's had quinsy.... HAY: Like that woman in Canada? The joke refers to the Dion Quins. Quinsy is a disease of the tonsils. I couldn't hear it at first.

[@wyb80]

Love this Film :) 'Next Train's gone'! :)

[@gamewizard7562]

Oops, my bad, on further research it is Quinsies but it has nothing to do with tonsils. It is the birth of quintuplets that happened in Canada in 1934. Google for Dionne quintuplets.

[@garyandleslied]

I will. It will be fun to see a British movie where they come to visit the United States instead of watching an American movie where they visit Britten. I've watched Edgar Kennedy before in other films.

[@shonuffido]

@martinwellborne It was "Wheres that fire", if you have a branch of "THE WORKS" near you then they have loads of Will Hay on offer at 2 for £5. Worth a look. Failing that the whole movie is on here.

[@Helionarmy]

an old classic

[@deftonesfan192]

My bird loves this :P

[@lk4543]

african grey or cockatiel? (i know 9 years late)

[@Ionianson]

He says "Harbottle"...it's the old geezers name.

[@chubbylilloser]

On ITV2 a few weeks back they had the top 15 British comedy actors. At number 15 was Norman Wisdom... (as you can tell its going to be an awful list if hes at number 15!) Number 3 was Russel Brand.. & at Number 1 was *drum roll*...Martian Clunes. While i like Martain clunes.. He shouldnt even be in the top 30 let alone number one. Where was Arthur Asky, Will Hay, Tony Hancock. I think ITV have a short memory! Disgusting how REAL talent has been forgotten & replaced by ****'s like Russel Brand

[@SamauraiRippeR]

@pineapplepenumbra Me too! Another thing that totally creeps people out is if you say "bless you" to someone who sneezes while they pass you in the street. Their faces are really funny to watch.

[@deftonesfan192]

@audio2001 Porter: "well take one of the K's out nobody will notice" Colleague: "arghh" LOL :D

[@BritishAlienCompany]

'Harbottle?' 'Yeah?' 'That's not the way to spell it. There are two 'l's in 'kelly'' 'Can't do that. 13 letters. unlucky' 'Oh. Well....take one of the K's out nobody will notice' LOL XD Pure Class xxx

[@ianharrison2490]

No but we go out with the same girl lol

[@tealeafandco]

gardening is a waste of time XD

[@gamewizard7562]

I hate to say it, but not all his films were released here. You can find VHS tapes of some of them, for DVD you will need a region free DVD player and buy them from England.

[@SpikeXtreme]

I thought "Ask a Policeman" and "WindBag the Sailor" tobe just as good as O Mister Porter!.. DVD box series is well worth the money

[@gamewizard7562]

That isn't what he said. He said twinsies, as in twins. When Will Hay is faking the fire call to get the farmer to leave he asks "How's Mrs. Murphy and the twinsies?"

[@incongra]

@garyandleslied yes the subtlety is in the facial expressions. You should probably check out his movie "Hey Hey USA" where he starred alongsdie a marvellous American comedian, Edgar Kennedy.

[@incongra]

@creswellcraggs I have it on DVD, haven't bothered putting up any clips because to be honest, it's not one of their better efforts.

[@pineapplepenumbra]

@SamauraiRippeR I think the result depends on where you are. Up North they thank you for it, in London they look at you like you've offered them a toasted weasel sandwich and the further out from London you get, the more normal people get. It's good to freak people out, they need it now and again. I've just come back here after 3 months to discover a typo in my post, damn!

[@MikeSparrow]

Don't worry I understood the joke

[@written12]

. So it's Harbottle,not Abba? A little disappointing- I guess my imagination got the best of me; I knew in many small villages in the British Isles back then, certain biblical expressions had lingered in the local idiom. Anyway, I've first discovered Will Hay. We never got too many old British movies in the States. It's a shame that comedy of Hay's kind doesn't get made these days. The U.K. and the States have really coarsened over the years.

[@written12]

A quick question to anyone in the know out there- and maybe an odd question. When Hay first happens upon the sign and calls to the railway man, does he say "Abba". I mean, it sounds like that to me, though I realize it would be very odd for Will Hay to be using a Hebrew/Aramaic word there. What does he actually say?

[@UKWMO]

He calls out “Harbottle”, the name of the guy with the beard.

[@gamewizard7562]

Another thing, quinsy as you call it, was never named after anyone. If he is referring to a mere tonsil infection, why would it be even be known in England? Is a tonsil infection in Canada really newsworthy in England? The birth of the first quituplets to survive would have been tremendous news back then and the Dionne quintuplets were the first and it would have been known of world wide. Quinsy was known of long before the 1930s so the remark about the woman from Canada makes even less sense.

[@irisferguson]

@racingrubberbiker HEAR HEAR!!!

[@gamewizard7562]

You are wrong. He clearly says How's the QUINSIES? on the telephone with Albert with an S at the end. Why would he put an S on the end of a word that is singular?

[@pineapplepenumbra]

@phaasch That'll learn ye.

[@offrampt]

Yeah yeah yeah! He says quinsies meaning that his wife has had a world record-equalling 5 children, and not a tonsil problem, so Will Hay does not make a joke, just states a fact. You are SOOOO clever! By the way, the Farmer mispronounces his set of children. It was the Dion Quins, not quinsies. Well done for annihilating a Will Hay joke!

[@Blind_Haze]

This is one of my all time favourite films.... I love it soooo much 🎉