An artist's model is set up to be the innocent dupe of jewel smugglers.
Norman Pett's comic strip Jane ran in the Daily Mirror from 1932 to 1959. It featured the mishaps of a beautiful young lady whose scrapes and adventures frequently resulted in her ending up in her underwear. The strip was at the height of its popularity during the war years and the rumour spread that Jane would finally lose all her once the war was over. On VE Day, Pett obliged. His model for Jane, Christabel Leighton-Porter, became a celebrity and did nicely out of personal appearances. She also appeared as Jane in this film.
To call the plot simple-minded would be a complement. Jane, a model who makes personal appearances at theatres throughout the country, is given a bracelet by an admirer. Another admirer takes her out boating, but an accident means they have to be rescued by a cross channel ferry. This is a complicated ruse to replace the fake gems on her bracelet with real gems and evade customs. She is then kidnapped, but manages to tie a note to her pet dog's collar and send him off for help. The gang are rounded up and Jane is reunited with her sweetheart.
Of course, audiences of the day weren't attracted to the film for its plot but for the sight of Miss Leighton-Porter in her underwear and she doesn't disappoint. Whether changing in her dressing room or getting out of a train, somehow she ends up showing off her figure - and a very nice one it is too. Her acting is as basic as the plot and she lacks the spark to make much of her lines, but her authenticity makes up for it. She really does look like the drawings come to life.
The other actors hardly rise to the occasion. Peter Butterworth as a drunk makes an impression but the others sink without trace. As a film, The Adventures of Jane isn't up to much, but as a slice of nostalgia it has a certain awful charm.
Script: Edward G Whiting, Alfred Goulding
Director: Edward G Whiting, Alfred Goulding
Players: Michael Hogarth, Ian Colin, Stanelli, Wally Patch, Sebastian Cabot, Sonya O'Shea, Sidney Benson, Charles Irwin, George Crawford, Joan Grindley
The Adventures of Jane available on DVD from SendIt (in a double bill with Murder at 3 AM)
