Arthur Mertz

Documentary featuring a cavalcade of Northern comedy stars including the great Frank Randle, George Formby, Arthur Askey, Norman Evans and many more. The North of England has always enjoyed its own very particular brand of comedy, best seen today in Coronation Street. 80 years ago however Mancunian Studios produced feature films for the northern masses. Funny Up North tells the story of the Mancunian Studios, its eccentric owner John E Blakeley and its cavalcade of stars including such household names as Arthur Askey, Jimmy Jewell, George Formby and the legendary Frank Randle. Hosted by Professor Chris Lee, the authority on northern cinema, Funny Up North takes you on a journey from its humble beginnings to its sad demise in the 1960s.

Joe Butler, a soccer player whose father is the company chairman, is faced with a difficult choice: should he play the championship match on his father's team or should he play it on his school's team. He chooses wisely and finds love and happiness with a secretary.

When chimney sweep Joe inherits a ramshackle hotel, he enlists the help of his former army friends to help restore and staff it. Knowing that an airport is due to be built nearby, two cunning property developers try to persuade him to sell, telling him the property is almost worthless. Can he thwart their scheme?

An exasperated clerk at a labour exchange tries to find jobs for two idle scroungers.

Without a job, a young man is given the opportunity to run his ill uncle's private-detective agency. He finds himself mixed up with everything from an unfaithful husband who is a secret nudist to a schoolteacher who believes his pupil's father is beating him.

Musical romantic comedy about an orphan and the son of a Colonel and his snooty wife, who refuses to give them her blessing.

'The Penny Pool' (1937) features Duggie Wakefield and his Crazy Gang who come to the assistance of young lovers Tommy Bancroft and Renee Harland, who have been sacked from their jobs for filling in the penny football pools during work hours. But the Crazy Gang's assistance is not always useful!

Joe Butler, a soccer player whose father is the company chairman, is faced with a difficult choice: should he play the championship match on his father's team or should he play it on his school's team. He chooses wisely and finds love and happiness with a secretary.

Private Randle (Frank Randle) and army pals, Privates Young (Dan Young) and Enoch (Robbie Vincent) are invited by Private Desmond (Pat McGrath) to spend some off-duty time at his stately home. Private Desmond is too busy courting an ATS girl (Antoinette Lupino) to notice the squaddies are running riot in his house.

In a North of England training camp, lovestruck Corporal Kenyon (Harry Kemble) is framed and demoted in rank by a rival in love for the affections of the Adjutant's daughter. Four friends rally round to help clear the Corporal's name.