Displaying items by tag: Roy Kinnear

NOT NOW, COMRADE

UK, 1976, 89 minutes, Colour.

Leslie Phillips, Ian Lavender, Roy Kinnear, Lewis Fiander, Carol Hawkins, Michelle.Dotrice, Ray Cooney, Windsor Davies, June Whitfield.

Directed by Ray Cooney and Harold Snoad.

Not Now, Comrade was one of the famous Whitehall farces of the 1960s. Several of them were written by Ray Cooney who codirected this film as well as writing it. The play was originally Chase Me, Comrade.

This film is a typical example of the British farce, highly exaggerated characters, even more highly exaggerated situations, all kinds of mixups with identities, cover-ups, characters hiding from others, disguises, misunderstandings, suggestive jokes… If one wanted to see a typical example of this kind of farce, this is a good an opportunity as any.

Cooney himself appears as Mr Lever, the representative of MI6, and, having the courage of his convictions, a person appears in all kinds of preposterous situations. Leslie Phillips is very good at this kind of role but giving at least some kind of gravitas to character and situation. Roy Kinnear, on the other hand, is highly bumptious. Australian actor, Lewis Fiander, appears as a Russian ballet dancer – and the highest of camp performances. Carol Hawkins, prominent in the is Carry On series, is rather unabashed in her sexy character, contrasting with Michelle Dotrice as Leslie Phillips’ daughter. June Whitfield appears at the end as Leslie Phillips’ wife. A great deal of the farce depends on the presence and style of Ian Lavender, the straight man in many ways, but having to do all kinds of character impersonations. And, he is remembered as the younger member of the television series, Dad’s Army.

Ray Cooney had his most famous play, Run for your Wife, nine years on stage in the London West End (and a film version in 2012). His co-director, Harold Snoad, directed a great deal of television, including Dad’s Army and, reached out to an even wider audience with 44 episodes of televisions Keeping Up appearances.

A film for the archives of film British comedy.