Displaying items by tag: Una Stubbs

THREE HATS FOR LISA

UK, 1965, 99 minutes, Colour.

Joe Brown, Sophie Hardy, Sidney James, Una Stubbs, Dave Nelson, Peter Bowles, Eric Barker, Seymour Green, Josephine Blake, Jeremy Lloyd.

Directed by Sidney Hayers.

This is very much a film of its times, the colourful swinging London of the mid-1960s. But now it looks very, very dated.

However, one reason for looking at it now is that it provides something of a treat for Sid James fans. Once again, he gives a typical performance as a cab driver. However, this is a musical, quite a lot of songs and dances, and here is Sid James, both singing and dancing! He is certainly worth a look, more versatile than we might imagine.

The star of the film is Joe Brown, popular singer of the period – but, not exactly an appealing screen character, rather more “in your face” than we might have liked. His singing voice resembles that of the popular Cliff Richard, and this film is something in the vein of the Cliff Richard musicals like Summer Holiday.

Three Londoners spend the day taking an Italian film star around London, she wanting to steal three hats to complete her collection! She is played by French actress, Sophie Hardy. The other two on the day out are played by Una Stubbs and Dave Nelson.

But, there is Peter Bowles, a decade before To the Manner Born, very much overacting. On the other hand, there is a good cameo by comedian, Eric Barker, at the police station. Actor and writer, Jeremy Lloyd, is also there.

The surprise is that the music is by Leslie Bricusse, Oliver, Stop the world… There is a lot of exuberance but not so much more. And, he co-wrote the screenplay with Talbot Rothwell who, at this time, was writing all the Carry on films. It is not his greatest screenplay either.

There is quite a lot of song and dance, round different venues in London, lots of workers, passers-by, all joining in. Fans of West Side Story may notice the resemblance of many of the dance routines, especially with the male dancers, to the choreography of the classic musical.

Spoiler: Lisa does eventually get her three hats!

MR TEN PER CENT

UK, 1967, 84 minutes, Colour.

Charlie Drake, Derek Nimmo, Wanda Ventham, John Le Mesurier, Anthony Nichols, Noel Dyson, John Laurie, George Baker, Una Stubbs.

Directed by Peter Graham Scott.

Dear oh dear!

The diminutive comedian, Charlie Drake, was very popular on British television in the 1960s. He also made four films, slight comedies, not particularly well received by critics or the public, The Cracksman being the most successful.

This, his final starring role, is for diehards only, his complete fans. Yet he continued to have a successful career on television and was appearing in supporting roles in various films for the next 30 years.

In retrospect, many audiences will find his performance highly contrived, often very silly, trying too hard.

The film opens with his explaining Swan Lake while working on a building site, pairing with a policeman. Later, with an eye on the portrait of Oscar Wilde, he fancies himself as a dramatist, posh accent though mixing vocabulary, and later will fancy himself advising on how he his play should be produced. But, the play is highly dramatic, comes across as farcical. The unscrupulous entrepreneur, played by John Le Mesurier, decides to profit by investing in a commercial failure. His chosen director  is played by Derek Nimmo, himself a very eccentric performer (most successful in television’s Oh Brother).

The would-be playwright interferes with the rehearsals, is taken in by a financier, does not realise how he is being used – but, eventually, ousted from the play, tries to sabotage the London performance, audiences flocking to see and laugh at the farcical play.

Only Charlie Drake’s fans will be persuaded by the last sequence, where the audience realises that he is sincere, hopeful, and applauds him.

The same theme was far more successfully handled by expert Mel Brooks the following year with his comedy classic, The Producers, with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder (as well as the musical version in the 2000s with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) – and we all remember the extraordinary song and dance routine, Springtime with Hitler!