Katie Johnson as Irate Train Passenger Ronald Shiner as Porter Reception Having been cleared by the British censors on 27 October 1941, the film premiered at the Regal Cinema by Marble Arch in London on 8 January 1942. The reviewer for The Times wrote:"Any story which gives Mr. Will Hay the chance to be himself is good enough, and ... 'The Black Sheep of Whitehall' manages for long stretches at a time to step out of the way of its own complicated plot and leave Mr. Hay to his own devices." Notes Hay and Mills had worked before, most notably on Those Were the Days (1934). This was the first film of three where Basil Dearden and Will Hay shared the director credit, the other two being The Goose Steps Out (1942) and My Learned Friend (1943). Broadcaster Leslie Mitchell is in the film driven to a nervous breakdown while interviewing Hay's character. Mitchell, best remembered for his Movietone News voiceovers, was a commentator for the BBC Television Service from its first transmissions on 2 November 1936. The film is generally considered to be Thora Hird's screen debut, although she did make an uncredited appearance in another film (The Big Blockade), released earlier that same year, as a German barmaid. References External links 1942 films 1940s war comedy films British black-and-white films Films directed by Will Hay Films directed by Basil Dearden Films produced by Michael Balcon Ealing Studios films British World War II propaganda films 1942 directorial debut films British war comedy films Films set in London 1942 comedy films 1940s English-language films