The Nose Has It!

Cheeky comic Arthur Askey advocates safe sneezing into a handkerchief to stop the spread of germs.

Big-hearted Arthur Askey advises cinema audiences to have a handkerchief handy in this fun-packed public information film, which warns of the dangers of germ-spreading sneezing in wartime. Skilfully combining cheeky comedy with a message of caution, Askey, in his element here, makes a friendly and down-to-earth frontman for the Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases health campaign.

Val Guest – scriptwriter and director of The Nose Has It! - regularly penned material for Askey's films. Others he had a hand in around this time included Band Waggon (1940) and The Ghost Train (1941). This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.