Band Waggon

On the roof of the Broadcasting House in Central London, two out-of-work performers, Arthur Askey and Stinker Murdoch, bide their time for a big break that never seems to come. Three months have passed since an audition with the BBC, and the pair have grown fond of their precarious rooftop life, improvising routines as the city hums below them. Their unusual perch becomes a symbol of stubborn persistence, a little island of comedy perched above the daily grind, until fate intervenes in the most abrupt way: an item from their clothesline slips loose and strikes Claude Pilkington, a senior figure at the BBC, prompting his anger and their eviction. The eviction marks the end of their rooftop refuge and the start of a new scramble for work and visibility.

Later that same evening, as they head home, Pilkington endures a puncture in one of the car’s tyres, caused by broken glass lying on the road. The glass has been placed there by the owners of the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, a cabaret act hoping to spark a BBC contract that has stubbornly remained out of reach. Pilkington sits unwittingly through their act, including the performances of Jack Hylton and Pat Kirkwood, barely noticing it as he absently reads his newspaper. When he discovers that his puncture was the result of their scheme, he storms off in a burst of frustration, setting the stage for an odd twist of fate that will soon redefine both their ambitions and their antics.

In search of a new home, Askey and Murdoch drift into the countryside and visit a local estate agent, hoping to snag a cheap cottage. Instead, they are offered a castle for a mere £3 in rent, a property the owner wants off his hands because it is said to be haunted. Eager for stability and a fresh start, they move in, only to find themselves drawn into a series of eerie happenings that the estate agent insists have perfectly natural explanations. The castle seems to wake at night with whispers and odd occurrences, and the duo encounters Jasper Blackfang, a ghost who claims to haunt the place. Moore Marriott brings the spectral figure to life as the castle’s unsettling presence presses in on their plans for a quiet life.

Seeking refuge from the supernatural disturbances, they retreat to the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant with their new companions, including Jack Hylton and Pat Kirkwood, who are drawn into the escalating mystery. Inside the castle, they stumble upon a television studio that the caretaker swears is used by a pirate commercial station. In truth, the studio is being used by Nazi agents operating in Britain, though the caretaker remains unaware of the full scope of what’s happening behind the scenes. The revelation shifts the comedy into a high-stakes intrigue, as the trio realizes they’ve stumbled onto something far more dangerous than a haunted house.

With a stubborn refusal to wait for a traditional audition, the group decides to broadcast their own show from the castle’s makeshift studio. Arthur Askey delivers a performance that edges onto the BBC’s television wavelength, inadvertently interrupting a programme hosted by Pilkington, who must fade the intruder out. The pirate broadcast proves to be a sensational draw for the public, turning the castle into a magnet for attention and forcing Scotland Yard to close in on the pirate station. The situation escalates when the castle is found to house plans for British aircraft that have been stolen by Nazi agents, and Askey, unknowingly, lifts these plans high during his broadcast, linking current events to the night’s spectacle.

As the hour-long show unfolds, the castle becomes a crucible where police, BBC officials, and Nazi operatives converge, with a time bomb ticking ominously in the background. The tension blends with a triumph of showmanship, as the public’s interest in the pirate broadcast peaks and the true stakes come to light. In the end, the success of the broadcast convinces the BBC to grant Askey, Murdoch, and their troupe their own show, validating their stubborn pursuit of a break and transforming an afternoon of chaos into a foothold in television history.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:22