wears her best jewels. In the Headmaster's study, she is shown some conjuring tricks by Smart. Crableigh places Dorking's necklace in Smart's pocket in an attempt to incriminate him and have him dismissed. However, the necklace is then stolen by Faker who hides it in a decanter. After trying, and failing, to persuade him to give it back Smart takes it and hides it in a Jewellery Box due to be presented to Lady Dorking at the dinner.. Shortly before the presentation, the diamonds are again taken by the Head Boy Cyril Brown who picks the lock. He hides the necklace in a rugby ball, but before he can make off with it, the ball is taken by the referee in the match. Confusion then ensues as during the match, Faker and Cyril Brown try to recover the ball and make off with it while Smart tries to prevent them. Eventually Smart kicks the ball towards some police spectators and unmasks the villains in spite of Crableigh's attempts to have Smart arrested for the theft. Cast Will Hay as Dr Alec Smart Gordon Harker as Faker Brown Jimmy Hanley as Cyril Brown Davy Burnaby as Col. Crableigh Norma Varden as Lady Dorking Claude Dampier as Theo P. Finch Charles Farrell as Louis Brown Percy Walsh as Prison governor David Raeburn as Superintendent Ben Williams as Prisoner (uncredited) A young Clive Dunn also made an appearance. Production and reception His first production for Gainsborough Pictures, the film was a breakthrough role for Will Hay and helped establish him as a film star throughout the British Empire. The role of the bumbling schoolmaster, which he had first developed in his 1920s music hall act, would be reprised in another two of Hay's films, Good Morning, Boys and The Ghost of St. Michael's Writing for The Spectator, Graham Greene characterized the film as "very amusing", describing Hay's portrayal of Dr. Smart as "competent" and praising Dampier's portrayal of Second Master Finch as the film's "finest performance". The Radio Times Guide to Films gave Boys Will Be Boys three stars out of five, observing that the film contains "the blend of bluster and dishonesty that makes [Hay's] films irresistible". Influence This was Hay's first screen outing for his well-established "schoolmaster" music hall routine. Hay had previously appeared in two Pinero adaptations Those Were The Days and Dandy Dick, and a comedy revue show as