The Goose Steps Out

The Goose Steps Out is a British comedy film released in 1942. This film starred, and was co-directed by, the British comedian Will Hay.

The film's title refers to the Nazis' vigorous ceremonial marching, called "goose-stepping".

Plot summary

Set during World War II, The Goose Steps Out recounts the adventures of William Potts (Will Hay) after it is discovered that he is an exact double of a German spy who the British have just captured. Potts is flown into Nazi Germany to impersonate the spy and instructed to seek out and bring back details of a new German secret weapon.

On arrival, however, Potts is placed in charge of a group of apparently rabidly-fascist young students who are being trained to work as spies in England. Potts attempts to undermine this by convincing the youngsters that the proper British way of saluting a great leader is to apply the V-sign, which they therefore do repeatedly and enthusiastically in the direction of a portrait of the Führer. At a function where he hopes to gather information about the weapon (a gasfire bomb), Potts succeeds only in getting blind drunk and admitting that he is a British agent. Luckily, his class of Nazi youths turn out to be sympathetic Austrians and they help him obtain the secret he seeks. Potts and his new friends eventually commandeer a plane and fly back to England, crashing in a tree outside the War Office in London.

Cast

• Will Hay as William Potts/Muller
• Charles Hawtrey as Max
• Frank Pettingell as Professor Hoffman
• Julien Mitchell as General Von Glotz
• Peter Ustinov as Krauss
• Barry Morse as Kurt
• Leslie Harcourt as Vagel
• Peter Croft as Hans
• Ann Firth as Lena
• Ray Lovell as Schmidt
• Jeremy Hawk as ADC
• Aubrey Mallalieu as Rector
• John Williams as Major Bishop
• Lawrence O'Madden as Colonel Truscott
• William Hartnell as German Officer at Station (uncredited)

External links

• The Goose Steps Out at the Internet Movie Database