Newly re-released on Home Entertainment with a loving restoration; The Galloping Major is a short sharp reminder of a bygone era of vintage comedy.

Directed by Henry Cornelius (Passport to Pimlico), Basil Radford stars as Major Arthur Hill, a struggling businessman who has a successful day at the horse racing track, which gives him an idea to make some big money. Aided by his good friend Harold (Hugh Griffith), they set up a syndicate to raise the money to buy a horse that is said to be a sure-fire winner.

However, a series of misunderstandings leads the gang to buy the wrong horse, one that is far from the Thoroughbred they had expected. This horse has more of a desire to jump than race, and it’s no Not to be deterred, and with all their collective money invested, the syndicate trains the horse themselves, or at the very least tries to. Released in cinemas in 1951, this is the farce-based shenanigans that British cinema was famed for in its heyday.

While it may contain all the hallmarks of an Ealing comedy, The Galloping Major isn’t from the iconic London Studio that made The Ladykillers, Passport To Pimlico, or The Man in the White Suit and so many more. Yet it still encapsulates the endearing spirit of an era of British filmmaking that produced many comedy classics. The stunning restoration gives this senior citizen-aged movie a new lease of life and is another worthy addition to the vintage classics range from Studiocanal.

The Galloping Major is out now on DVD and Blu-ray, we have TWO copies up for grabs, click here to enter our competition.