Rent Who Done It? (1956)

An Odd Footnote in Ealing’s Legacy - Who Done It? review by griggs

Some Ealing comedies sparkle with wit; this one mostly slips on banana peels. Who Done It? aims for sophistication, and compared with Benny Hill’s usual bawdy antics, it just about gets there. Hill plays Hugo Dill, an ice-rink sweeper who wins a sleuthing contest—complete with cash prize and a bloodhound—and promptly opens a detective agency that lands him in Cold-War farce.

There are moments where the humour threatens to rise above custard-pie chaos. Hill is energetic, and the supporting cast play it admirably straight, trying to wring a bit of suspense out of the silliness. But the film can’t resist tumbling back into pratfalls and exaggerated mugging, undercutting its cleverer set-ups.

As an Ealing effort, it’s a curiosity rather than a crown jewel. Compared with the studio’s best, the polish is missing and the jokes feel broad. Who Done It? is watchable, occasionally amusing, but ultimately more of a footnote in their catalogue than a highlight—though notable as Hill’s one and only starring feature.