Displaying items by tag: Michael Hordern

PACIFIC DESTINY

UK, 1956, 97 minutes, Colour.

Denholm Elliott, Susan Stephen, Felix Felton, Peter Bathurst, Clifford Buckton, Michael Hordern, Gordon Jackson.

Directed by Wolf Rilla.

Very much a film of the mid-1950s. It presupposes the British Empire and colonialism – though with some more benign perspectives. But it was released as a time when there was growing movement for independence, especially in African countries. At the same time, Simba, was released showing the impact of the Mau Mau and movements for independence in Kenya.

The film is based on a memoir by Arthur Grimble who was sent, rather young, to colonies in the Pacific, “wet behind the ears” as the authorities would have thought, making mistakes, growing to appreciate the local culture, becoming something of a mediator. His played by Denholm Elliot at the beginning of his career, not such a credible screen presence in this role as some of his contemporaries like Dirk Bogarde or Donnell Sinden or Peter Finch. (Denholm Elliot was far more successful in a long career roles, principal and support.)

Susan Stephen, popular at the time, plays his pregnant wife and support. Michael Hordern does his thing as the crusty retiring administrator there are some moments with Gordon Jackson. Some British actors combined with Pacific actors to play the leads and the members of the various tribal factions in the islands.

The setting is 1925. The presence of the British taken for granted. The indigenous people of the various islands shown with some of their culture, conflict with the British, some reconciliation with the British and a general perspective that there should be some respect and understanding by those in the position of overlords with those whom they are purporting to serve.

UP  POMPEII

UK, 1971, 90 minutes, Colour.

Frankie Howerd, Patrick Cargill, Bill Fraser, Michael Hordern, Barbara Murray, Lance Percival, Adrian Foster, Bernard Bresslaw, Roy Hudd, Lally Bowers, Kenneth Cranham.

Directed by Bob Kellett.

Comedian, Frankie Howerd, popular on British radio and television, had a successful television series, 14 episodes, in the late 1960s, Up Pompeii. And here is a version made for the cinema screen, with Talbot Rothwell, writer of the Carry on films, having a credit for idea.

The basic idea is humorous enough, Frankie Howard as a slave in Pompeii the year of its destruction, A.D. 79 – but, for film purposes, the Emperor is Nero who reigned 15 years earlier!

Frankie Howerd’s style of comedy was to confide in the audience, looking straight to camera and the audience, plenty of remarks, reminding everyone that this is a film, anticipating action and jokes. The idea here is that there is conspiracy against Nero amongst senators and military of Pompeii. Howerd’s Lurcio works for Ludicrus Sextus (the film’s names of characters rivalling those of the Asterix films), the pompous senator, played with the right kind of satire by Michael Hordern. There is his wife and her ambitions, his young son and his sexuality problems, a clash with a Roman sergeant in the marketplace and the focus on a scroll with a list of conspirators.

Anything could happen – and does.

However, the writers and the cast have drawn on an enormous catalogue of sex jokes. And most of them are here, some very obvious, some familiar – touch of innuendo (though the screenplay is too obvious for innuendo). Some are signalled, Frankie Howard drawing attention to them and reacting sometimes with prudery.

And, looking back, it may be surprising to find such an amount of nudity in British comedy at the beginning of the 1970s – reticence is not the order of the day here.

So, once again, an opportunity to see and gain something of an awareness of popular British comedy in the early 1970s – but, so much depends on whether audiences are fans of Frankie Howerd himself and this kind of style. He then made The Chastity Belt and the World War II farce, Up the Front in the same style.