Basil Dean produced five films that starred George Formby, all for Associated Talking Pictures. The first was one of Formby’s best, “No Limit” in 1935 and Dean went on to score successes with Keep Your Seats Please, Keep Fit, Feather Your Nest, and It’s In the Air. He fell out with ATP when it was thought that he was neglecting the film world in favour of his theatrical work and left ATP. In World War II Basil Dean played an huge role organising and running ENSA. EXTRACTS FROM 'MINDS EYE' BY BASIL DEAN, PUBLISHED BY HUTCHINSON IN 1973 - NOW OUT OF PRINT

florence takes some persuading!

George's second film was called 'Keep Your Seats Please ', which was also directed by Monty Banks, Florence Desmond was again George's partner. I had the utmost difficulty in persuading her to work with him again, especially when she discovered that her part consisted mainly of rushing after George, carrying a child of three in her arms. Superior persons may have affected to disregard George's comicalities. Certainly none of his films did worthwhile business in the West End of London, but elsewhere it was a case of "All seats sold" for most of the time. We had always to be careful about George's songs as he was unable to read a note of music; but his strong sense of rhythm helped him to get the most out of that limited instrument, his ukulele soon to become as well known to the public as Churchill's war-time cigar.

people took george to their hearts.

In this regard I suppose one might look upon George as a kind of messiah of the present day pop singers. The basis of his success was personality. He didn't act gormless as many successful Lancashire comedians have done, he was gormless, at least as far as the audience was concerned, and they took him to their hearts accordingly.

GEORGE, HARD WORKING AND CHEERFUL

Everyone had been sad when Gracie (Fields) left Ealing. Her personality seemed to irradiate the whole place. One was left wondering whether the community spirit she had helped to create would vanish. The point here is that George Formby was different, that grin of his was part of a professional image, not an expression of warmth. Inside the studios he was hard working and cheerful except when rowing with his wife. Beryl Formby was a formidable character. There was no getting past Beryl once she had made up her mind. She was quick to make a fuss whenever she thought George was being put upon in any way, such as when he was asked to play a scene he didn't like or didn't understand. In consequence everyone in the studios was a bit scared of her. Outside the studio George had few personal contacts, Beryl saw to that! And he did not like spending money. An incident to which I was a witness illustrates this. One day George was seen to produce a ten shilling note at the refreshment counter of the Inn to pay for a drink for one of the staff, a procedure so unusual that all movement ceased and all eyes were focussed on the phenomenon, rather like that well known Bateman drawing of the Guardsman who dropped his "Musket" on parade.

GEORGE IS THE MOST POPULAR!

The completion of each film was always followed by the acquisition of a new car. At one time George had three, Beryl did nothing to restrain this passion, wisely regarding it as a safety valve which left George little time for any glances at the girls. To do him justice I don't think girls bothered him very much, however, as a precaution Beryl was always present on the set at every take, keeping ceaseless watch. Some figures regarding the comparative popularity of British Film Stars published in the American trade paper, 'The Motion Picture World', confirmed his popularity. In 1936 Formby took fourth place in the list. In 1937 he moved up to second, and from 1938 until 1943 he was top of the poll! In the international lists published in the same paper Gracie Fields takes fifth place in 1937, and thereafter appears not at all, which coincided with her brief time in Hollywood. While on the subject of statistics another item is of peculiar interest: in 1944 Formby was named the most popular figures in Russia after Stalin, and was awarded the Order of Lenin!

BASIL DEAN LEAVES ATP

In the spring of 1938, Stephen Courtauld returned from a trip abroad to drop his "Hiroshima" - - on the 4th of April to be exact. He had come to the conclusion that it was undesirable for a member of the Board to act as producer and he intended to ask for my resignation. To embitter the dish he gave two additional reasons why he wished me to abandon my post - one, that my renewed theatre activities interfered with film work - fair comment, that; but his second reason, namely that George Formby had taken an "unreasoning dislike" to me, smelt of intrigue. I detested politics in the studio quite as much as in the theatre, hitherto Ealing had been singularly free from this taint. However, I was not prepared to argue my case since it had failed to argue itself. I resigned at the end of the year. The next step in my dissolution as a ruling spirit at Ealing was to ask me to give up the chairmanship of Associated Talking Pictures and its two subsidiaries in favour of Stephen, this was obviously right . The request also to rein my joint managing directorships of all three companies was not so obvious. I was invited to remain a director of the parent company, a courtesy only to be expected seeing that I was the largest shareholder. Michael Balcon, an old friend of Reg Baker’s, now became the producer and joined the board, evidently, Stephen's dictum that the producer must not be a member of the board did not apply in this case. The position was embarrassing for all of us, so I attended very few of the subsequent meetings. In any case there was little time to do so apart from renewed activity in the theatre; I was soon busy preparing my scheme for national service entertainment in the event of a second world war. I was convinced that was not far away. Basil Dean, The Theatre At War (London: G.G. Harrap, 1956). Basil Dean, Seven ages: an autobiography, 1888-1927 (London: Hutchinson, 1970). Basil Dean, Mind's eye: an autobiography, 1927-1972 (London: Hutchinson, 1973).