Will Any Gentleman...?

Henry Sterling, a mild-mannered bank clerk, visits a music hall to pay the manager a debt owed by his cheque-bouncing philandering brother. He is persuaded to stay and become the subject of a stage hypnotist, The Great Mendoza. Fleeing back home, he cannot remember where he's been and what he's done.

His now-twin personas come and go at random. When in the hypnotised state, he becomes very reckless, both in chatting up women he would never normally dare approach, and spending money he has not got.

After he insults his domineering mother-in-law, his wife leaves him. He robs his boss of £300, but his brother realises what has happened and persuades the hypnotist to get him back to normal. [2]

• George Cole as Henry Sterling
• Veronica Hurst as Florence Sterling
• Heather Thatcher as Mrs. Whittle
• Jon Pertwee as Charley Sterling
• James Hayter as Dr. Smith
• William Hartnell as Detective Inspector Martin
• Sid James as Mr. Hobson
• Diana Decker as Angel
• Joan Sims as Beryl
• Brian Oulton as Mr. Jackson
• Alan Badel as The Great Mendoza
• Wilfred Boyle as Albert Boyle
• Alexander Gauge as Mr. Billing
• Nan Braunton as Neighbour
• Jill Melford as Honey
• Peter Butterworth as theatre stage manager.

The New York Times wrote, "Although the British movie makers have been known to make the most of humor, their infrequent lapses in this genre can be deadly dull. And Will Any Gentleman . . . ?, the farce by that cryptic title, which landed at the Plaza yesterday, falls flatly into the latter niche...All that may be said of Michael Anderson, a young and respected director, is that he has kept his cast, if not his story, moving. George Cole is largely bewildered and woebegone as the transformed bank teller. Jon Pertwee, who looks a bit like Danny Kaye, adds an occasional comic touch as his energetic, scapegrace brother....As the film's confused detective, William Hartnell delivers the script's most ambitious line when he says, "there's something funny going on around here!" ;[4] while more recently, Cineoutsider described the film as "an adaptation that manages to maintain a certain level of energy throughout its running time. Although the main premise may be a little tired, the witty dialogue and superb acting keep the pace up despite the stilted direction and the occasional dud routine. For the most part its essentially filmed theatre, but that is no reason for it to be dismissed out of hand."[5]

• Will Any Gentleman...? at IMDb