Off the Dole

Date: 1935
Director: Arthur Mertz
Production Company: Mancunian Film

Stars: George Formby, Beryl Formby, Constance Shotter, Dan Crisp, James Plant
Location(s): London

Storyline:

A young man has his dole denied to him for moonlighting and not trying to find work so his uncle asks him to take over his detective agency.

Additional Information:

Screen captures uploaded by Phil Wilkinson

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Capture 1
18 Apr 2026

There are only three locations in this early Formby feature. This is the first and there's not much to go on. However, Antony Blair believes that this may be 108 Wilmot Place NW1 which stands on the corner opposite the final screen capture.

There will have been alterations made over the years but the top of the doorway and the frame are quite distinctive as can be seen in Antony's comparison.

Capture 2
18 Feb 2026

The Ministry of Labour's Employment Exchange where John Willie collects his dole. Dave W has found the very Exchange in Wilmot Place NW1, thankfully not demolished but not unsurprisingly turned into flats. (RL)

Replacing Dave's supporting Google Street View, Denis Hoare manipulated the green bins to show more clearly the old entrance, now bricked up and made into windows. The remaining bleached or stained wording in the brickwork, pointed out by Dave, is similarly recorded here by Denis. (RL)

Capture 3
16 Apr 2026

Dave W provides an improved screen capture, the one that helped him identify 5 Chester Terrace, NW1 (RL)

Looking north from close to Chester Gate. Similar angles are seen in Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? and The Boy Who Turned Yellow. SJ

Capture 4
18 Feb 2026

John Willie (George Formby) outside the Labour Exchange. Could this be Camden Town's Employment Exchange on Wilmot Place? Indeed it could be says Dave W who has confirmed the location in Capture 2. (RL)

Looking directly at what was the entrance door, now a window, Denis indicates that the white stone-topped brick pillars either side of the entrance have gone, and the fence extended to cover what was the entrance from the street. (RL)

Capture 5
24 Apr 2025

A look to the left outside the Employment Exchange gates. Wilmot Place NW1 positively identified by Dave W. (RL)

Looking north-east towards Rochester Place. SJ

Capture 6
18 Feb 2026

And a look to the right. The distance doesn't look quite right for Wilmot Place but this was 1935! That is because it isn't, Dave tells us it is just around the corner in St Pancras Way, London NW1, in fact number 100, now re-developed. (RL)

Denis Hoare provides this shot to replace Dave's Google Street View from 2008 and tells us that he removed the ivy to reveal that the GPO pavement cover so important to Dave's identification, remains in place. (RL)