Value for Money (1955)

"Chayley" (John Gregson) comes from good Yorkshire stock where thrift and prudence are the order of the day. That attitude is thrown to the wind, though, when on a visit to London he encounters the glamorous and charming nightclub entertainer "Ruth" (Diana Dors). Now she knows when she is onto a good thing, as soon has this poor lad hook line and sinker. Despite his upbringing, and the ghost of his father warning him of the coming dangers, he is powerless - he is addicted to her, and soon she has come to his town, they are engaged, and she is looking for a nice big house. Can he see reason before it's too late? Is she really quite such a gold-digger? For the first half hour, when it's just the two at the top of the bill, then the film - and the dialogue - work quite well. You can see her manoeuvring the vulnerable but proud young man and it looks like both are having fun. For the rest of this, though, it really is just a bit of a stereotype-fest that runs through the joke as quickly as she would run through his inheritance. It's always good to see Ernest Thesiger (the doting "Lord Dewsbury)" and there are a few lively cameos but not enough to sustain this after about an hour when the writing is on the wall for a rather tame solution that lets it all fizzle out. The moral might be, though - always check your restaurant bill!