Fast moving, lavish B comedy is the first of two leading role for Mr. Fish n' Chips himself, Arthur Treacher. Seemingly born to play a butler, he's dryly droll, excessively loyal and completely in charge. Like Mr. Belvedere after him, Jeeves made everybody think that they were in charge when really the truth was obvious. The subject of his subordination is the young David Niven, seen in the opening complaining about been oh so rich and bored. The next 55 minutes is certainly anything but boring.For starters, they become involved with mystery girl Virginia Field who is being chased a la The 39 Steps by alleged Scotland Yard detectives. Beleaguered saxophonist Willie Best gets the ride of his life when picked up by Niven and Treacher who end up being chased by the men following Field, creating more comical adventure. There's a hysterical sequence with Best playing his sax and Treacher dancing, unaware that there's a trap door underneath them. This is a fun adaption of P.G. Wodehouse's series of stories, later adapted for several plays and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. This version is delightfully witty, often over the top and filled with plenty of surprises.

Although he's third billed in this film, David Niven finally was noticed by critics in the role of eternal playboy Bertie Wooster. But the first billed individual here Arthur Treacher was typecast for the rest of his life playing P.G. Wodehouse's dour butler Jeeves.This was a B film for 20th Century Fox one of the first under the banner of the new company and it doesn't quite make an hour's running time. Still both Niven and Treacher got their starts.Niven has been described as the man who carried more films with charm than any other actor. That's what Bertie Wooster's about, a rich young and bored heir who is forever getting in situations because he doesn't have to work for a living. This was Wodehouse satirizing the British upper classes between the World Wars. Yet Wooster is likable and charming if completely useless.One fine boring evening Virginia Field changes all that by crashing the Wooster living space being pursued by some men. Then she leaves after spending the night and Niven wants to find her and over Treacher's objections they pursue her as well as her original pursuers.Arriving at an inn they blunder into things without knowing exactly who the players are. In the end thanks to Jeeves it all turns out all right.I remember Arthur Treacher years ago when he was through acting and was an announcer for the Merv Griffin Show. I got to meet him and let us say he was Jeeves to the nines.Thank You, Jeeves is one of two films Treacher played Jeeves, but he played a lot of butlers after that. That's because he was so good at them.

He only gets third billing (behind Arthur Treacher & Virginia Field), but this was effectively David Niven's first starring role and he's charmingly silly as P. G. Wodehouse's dunderheaded Bertie Wooster, master (in name only) to Jeeves, that most unflappable of valets. As an adaptation, it's more like a watered-down THE 39 STEPS than a true Wodehousian outing. And that's too bad since the interplay between Treacher & Niven isn't too far off the mark. Alas, the 'B' movie mystery tropes & forced comedy grow wearisome even at a brief 57 minutes. Next year's follow-up (STEP LIVELY, JEEVES) was even more off the mark, with no Bertie in sight and Jeeves (of all people!) forced to play the goof.

I have two problems with this movie.First: If you've ever read any of P.G. Wodehouse's classic "Wooster and Jeeves" stories you will be sadly disappointed by this adaption. Only the names are left from the original, this is a vehicle for British comic actor Arthur Treacher and nothing else.Second: Treacher as Jeeves hogs every scene, and the enchanting (elsewhere) David Niven is left with nothing but feeding him a few pathetic straight-man lines. What a waste, he's one of my favorite actors and would have made a perfect Wooster had they let him anything try.So, what we have is a glorified Music 'All turn by Mr. Treacher preserved on film. Many critics seem to like it, they may be right, I was too blinded by my love of the books to be objective.For fellow Plum fans I recommend the fairly recent adaptations done by Hugh Fry and Stephen Laurie, I believe they're available on video. They're well done and faithful.