The Common Touch

David and Monty are two friends of Susan and Betty Potter whose father runs a fleet of lorries. One by one, his lorries are involved in accidents and sabotage is suspected. The children are determined to find the culprits.

Bill Ramsbottom sells his English pub and drags his family off to Canada where he has inherited a ranch from his grandfather Wild Bill Ramsbottom. He ends up tangling with outlaw Black Jake, an Indian chief Blue Eagle, and the local law.

In this delightful fantasy adventure, a mild-mannered writer of adventure stories for girls finds himself presented with an intriguing proposition from an elderly fan. She suggests that they conspire to steal a secret whiskey formula from ruthless distillers, who themselves stole it from her family in years gone by. With the recipe back in hand however, it's not long before they attract attention from the Inspectors of Scotland Yard.

Old Mother Riley starts a new business.

'Farm life on the South Downs. A gentleman farmer beats his unscrupulous rival in sheepdog trials.' (British Film Institute)

A group of very strange men, refugees and casualties of the war, rally round when one of their number is framed by a drug racketeer. Co-opting a well-known journalist to their cause, they scheme to bring the racketeer to justice in a home-made "trial" in the crypt of a ruined church.

An east London fishmonger's young daughter (Hazel Ascot) is so grateful to Dr Hood (John Stuart) for saving her dog Patch after a road accident that she persuades her dad and various friends to help stage a concert at the local Hippodrome to raise money to save the local hospital.

After being arrested for assaulting a football referee, desperate train driver Bill (Arthur Askey) raids the railwaymen's holiday fund to cover his £55 fine. He knows he's going to be discovered though, leaving him no choice but to get the money back by hook or by crook! His last chance is to run a book on the United v City football derby. If that wasn't tense enough, Bill's son is also making his debut for United. It looks like it's going to be a day to remember - do you dare look? ...The Love Match.

Sid Gibson is a soap powder salesman who decides what he really needs is TV advertising. The problem is, he's absolutely broke. He calls upon his friend Arthur Ashton, who arranges to sneak a plug for Sid's suds into a live TV spectacular. The public goes bananas for the product but to maintain sales Sid and Arthur must arrange for ever more outrageous plugs on TV shows. The Ascots races, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo - no show is safe.

An escaped convict is on the loose, and the police are searching all the doss-houses in the hopes of finding him there. A young journalist is sent by his editor to assist in the search with the aim of reporting on any interesting stories he may find among those seeking shelter that night in the local doss-house, and is eager to help with the arrest. Among the characters they encounter are a man who claims to have got away with murder, and an alcoholic former concert pianist.

A trio of young boys become involved in a criminal plot.

The Helliwells, the Soppitts, and the Parkers, old friends gathered to celebrate their common silver anniversaries. To their dismay they learn that their marriages may not be valid. On hand are an outrageous housekeeper and a photographer.

A night watchman is being bludgeoned, as a safe is cracked open in the offices of the District Food Controller. A list of wartime foods to be rationed is stolen, and the police fear gangsters are planning to sell the foods on the black market. As the office charwoman, Old Mother Riley's fingerprints are all over the safe, and she becomes the police's number one suspect. To prove her innocence, Mother Riley turns detective, adopting various methods and disguises to track down the villains.

An out-of-work comedian persuades a drunken nobleman to join a protest against the closing of a village hall.

As WWII begins, vaudeville entertainer Tommy Towers is called up to serve. He arranges a job for his girlfriend at the local pub. To keep moral up, his commanding officer orders him to perform for the troops.

When a wealthy newspaper proprietor passes away, his crooked business partner moves to secure the deceased's fortune by substituting a false will. But 'Corona' Flanagan is onto the fraudster, and his efforts to unmask the villain see him popping in and out of jail – which isn't all that bad, since the governor is an old friend of his – and dressing up as a Russian countess...