The early parts of this film are quite promising but it tails off pretty quickly.Part of the problem is Tom walls.He is clearly attempting to emulate Ronald Coleman as Raffles but fails miserably.He was 56 years old when he made this and having him romantically involved with a 22 year old Lili Palmer actually makes him look rather like a dirty old man.Palmer for her part is probably to young for her part.The plot seems to rather get lost in the middle part.The ending is predictable and clichéd,It has to be said that Tom walls disguised as a butler still looks very like Tom walls.There is an interesting tap routine that seems to have strayed in from a Jessie Matthews film and some really charming art deco sets.

I had never heard of this film before and therefore had no expectations. I was also not familiar with any of the cast members. The movie was much more interesting than I would have thought with one big caveat: the lead male role, who plays "Crackerjack" is much too old for the part, and smokes incessantly, which is a distinct turn-off for me. Any romantic feelings between the two leads seemed highly unlikely for this reason alone. The part needed a Cary Grant or a David Niven. Although I found no fault with Tom Walls' acting, he is simply way too old for Lilli Palmer. The plot twists may have appeared in other movies, but none that I have seen before, and this viewer they were refreshing and fun. I was caught off guard with the plot on several occasions. So, while I can't give this any more than 7 stars, it could still be a fairly pleasant entertainment, especially if one enjoys films of the 1930s.

The Wonderful Lilli Palmer was very young when she made CRACKERJACK and she was a marvelous actress and a fabulously beautiful and charming actress and this film was just the beginning for her. She was rather unique in British films since most of the so called Gainsborough gals of the time were British such as Margaret Lockwood, Phyllis Calvert, Patricia Roc, Sally Gray, etc and only Miss Palmer, German born, went on to an international career and worked in Hollywood as well as in France and Germany over the years, coming back to British films from time to time. She was unique among the all British group of gals making names for themselves in the late 30s and 40s in British cinema. She married Rex Harrison, had a son with him and happens to be my favorite all time actress.

A typically 30s-style charismatic gentleman thief and master of disguise tackles a dangerous criminal gang while posing as a butler at a stately home. Vintage in age rather than in quality, and not as good as the identically-titled British kids' TV programme of three or four decades later.