I think I may have gone to see this as a young boy – certainly went to see a Barbara Kelly film. She had become very popular on BBC Television – that was the one and only channel then – mainly because of her regular appearances on ‘What’s My Line’ as a panellist – so someone must have had the idea of putting her in a film.

He husband Bernard Braden was nothing like as well known as his wife at this time but nonetheless he took a leading role here.

Barbara Kelly is very lively in the role

Quite a lot of  sharp quick fire dialogue from scriptwriters Frank Muir and Denis Norden.

Struggling bohemian artist Roger Fox (Bernard Braden) and his model wife, Jean (Barbara Kelly), live on a houseboat at Cubitt’s Yacht Basin. Fed up with the chickens that mess up his deck, there isn’t much Roger can do about moving since he’s flat broke – he’s even stopped the milk delivery.  Roger, a Canadian, has escaped from his timber baron Uncle Amos’s (Laurence Naismith) clutches for now, but soon respectability rears its ugly head again when Roger is summoned by Mr. McCutcheon (John Laurie). Uncle Amos is willing to give Roger the princely sum of £10,000  if he can prove he lives a moral life; that he lives an economically productive life, and that he has no debt – or it’s back to the lumber mill in Canada.

Roger, overtaken with enthusiasm to impress McCutcheon at dinner over at their houseboat, buys a too expensive dinner to cook, and finds they can’t pay for it. So Barbara comes up with the brilliant idea of pawning Roger – just for the night – to pawnbroker Albert Trusslove (Reg Dixon). Albert, wishing to get his wife, Amelia (Avice Landone), off his back, agrees to the bargain, and everyone seems to be happy – especially Albert’s sexy daughter Amber (Jean Carson), who doesn’t care if Roger is married. Soon, the situation spins out of control as the whole nation wonders if Jean will “redeem” her pawned husband.

ABOVE – Barbara Kelly and Bernard Braden – in real life they were husband and wife.

Barbara Kelly on ‘What’s My Line’  where she appeared as a panellist from 1951 to 1963 when it finished – she actually appeared in 230 editions of this show during those years.