Captain Gary Anson (John McCallum) is a gambling racehorse owner who is imminently due a large inheritance from his Aunty and also about to marry his sweetheart Wenda Penniford (Greta Gynt). Following the death of his favourite horse in a racecourse accident, the unexpected news in his Aunty's will and the departure of his money hungry fiancee, a penniless Gary turns to the bottle and concocts a plan to get bigger odds for his fast improving horse "My Darling" in the Ascot Gold Cup. He has a change of heart the next morning and decides to cancel the plan but the evidence trail has already been left and Wenda, having married the Lord Willie Penford (Raymond Lovell), seeks revenge by trying to get Gary's horse taken out of the Gold Cup. It's a race against time for Gary and his friends to clear his name and get his horse back in the starting line-up.

Another movie based on a Edgar Wallace novel (Flying Fifty-Five being the other) and once again this is a lovely plot with some fine acting and very funny moments, particularly the scenes featuring best chums Raymond Lovell (Lord Willie Panniford) and Tony (Sidney King). John McCallum is very suave in the lead role and I think he had a lucky escape when the hard-nosed Great Gynt decided to walk out on him following the reading of his Aunty's will. Gary's racehorse trainer Lady Mollie Panniford (Sonia Holm), sister of Lord Willie, would have been a much better marriage candidate but the two never quite got it together. Also a special mention to Leslie Dwyer (Sam Hillcott) as the cheeky ex-convict butler who sticks by Gary through thick and thin and there also a few brief scenes featuring a seveteen year old and unrecognisable DIana Doors as Lord Willie's housemaid Hawkins.

The opening scenes where Gary's horse Wilderness gets fatally brought down by a dog were filmed at Hurst Park in West Molesey, Surrey (closed in 1962 and now a housing estate) and this was the first time I had ever seen this course in film. Further research shows that this course used to be situated next to the bank of River Thames close to Hampton Court Palace and it looked a truly amazing venue and it's well worth looking at the old Pathe videos and pictures available on the Internet. The film also includes brief action from Epsom (Coronation Cup) and plenty of scenes from Royal Ascot (Gold Cup) where we also see a glimpse of King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

The Calendar is a good film to watch with plenty of comedy and racing action from several courses but I have a slight preference for the plot and dialogue in Edgar Wallace's Flying Fifty-Five. (Rating 8/10)