Oh, Mr Porter! (with minor variations in punctuation) can refer both to a song and a film inspired by the song.

Origin of the phrase

"Oh! Mr Porter" is an old British music hall song, and was part of the repertoire of singer Marie Lloyd. Written in 1893 by George LeBrunn, its lyrics include this chorus: Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (February 12, 1870 - October 7, 1922), was a British music-hall singer . ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Oh! Mr Porter, what shall I do,

I wanted to go to Birmingham, and they've taken me on to Crewe,

Take me back to London, as quickly as you can

Oh! Mr Porter what a silly girl I am.

Herman's Hermits recorded a cover version of the song in the 1960s. The city from above Centenary Square. ... Map sources for Crewe at grid reference SJ705557 Crewe is a town in south Cheshire, in the north west of England. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Hermans Hermits was a British rock band in the 1960s, formed in Manchester, England in 1963. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...

1937 movie

Today, the phrase is best known as the title of a 1937 British film Oh, Mr Porter! starring British comedy actor Will Hay, and is his best-known film. It also included his two regular supporting actors, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. The Guardian newspaper described the film as "perfectly representing a certain type of bumbling British humour," despite being directed by a Paris-born director, Marcel Varnel. Varnel considered the film his best work. The film critic Barry Norman included it among his 100 best films of all time. Fellow critic Derek Malcolm also included the film in his The Century of Films. The plot was loosely based on The Ghost Train. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... William Thompson Hay (December 6, 1888 – April 18, 1949) was a British comedian, actor and amateur astronomer. ... Graham Moffatt (1919-1965) was a British actor. ... Moore Marriott (1885-1949) was a British character actor. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Marcel Varnel (16 October 1894 - 13 July 1947) was a film director. ... Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Barry Norman (b. ... Derek Malcolm (born 1939) is a British film critic and historian. ... The Century of Films was a weekly column by British film critic Derek Malcolm published in The Guardian between 2000 and 2002. ... The Ghost Train is a British play. ...

The film was clearly inspired by the song "Oh! Mr Porter", as Will Hay's character is Mr. William Porter, although he is not in fact a railway Porter (this leads to some amusing confusion!). A snatch of the song can be heard over the opening credits.

Parodies

The film was parodied in the spoof documentary Norbert Smith, a Life, as Oh, Mr Bank Robber starring "Will Silly". In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The song was also modified for use in the BBC situation comedy Oh, Doctor Beeching! sung by Su Pollard. A situation comedy (sitcom) is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Oh, Doctor Beeching! was a British television sitcom written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which, after a broadcast pilot on 14 August 1995, ran from 8 July 1996 to 28 September 1997. ... Susan Pollard (born November 7, 1949 in Nottingham) is a flamboyant English comedy actress, known as Su Pollard, best known for her roles in the sitcoms Hi-De-Hi! and You Rang, MLord?. After performing in several West End musicals and coming second in a heat of Opportunity Knocks...

Oh, Dr. Beeching what have you done?

There once were lots of trains to catch, but soon there will be none,

I'll have to buy a bike, 'cos I can't afford a car,

Oh, Dr. Beeching what a naughty man you are!

External links

• Article on the song, with a sound file of the tune
• Guardian article on the film
• Oh, Mr Porter! at the Internet Movie Database