The Love Match is directed by David Paltenghi and based on a play by Glenn Melvyn who also co-stars with Arthur Askey. Also featuring are Thora Hird, Shirley Eaton, Danny Ross, William Franklyn and Edward Chapman. Arthur Grant is the photographer and Wilfred Burns scores the original music.
After a sequence of events sees him arrested for the assault of a football referee, train driver Bill Brown (Askey) has to use some of the railway man's holiday fund to cover his fine. Desperate for the cash, Bill and his pal Wally (Melvyn) look to run a book on the upcoming United v City football match. But with his daughter Rose (Eaton) trying to win a dancing competition, and his son Arthur (Franklyn) about to make his debut for United, family strife is also taking a hold.
This was the first film that Arthur Askey made after a ten year absence from the big screen. It's typical boisterous fare, filled out with old time jokes and set piece frivolity. The story is a solid one, although it really helps if you are British and understand local football rivalry, while the cast around Askey perform to a high standard. There's some laugh out loud moments, such as one jitterbugging sequence, whilst the appearance of classic steam trains and rail yards carry with it a certain historical charm. All in all it's good harmless comedy fare for those who like Askey and similar British films of this ilk. 6.5/10
