Displaying items by tag: Warren Mitchell

WE JOINED THE NAVY

UK, 1962, 104 minutes, Colour.

Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O’Brien, Jeremy Lloyd, Dinsdale Landon, Derek Fowlds, Mischa Auer, John Le Mesurier, Lally Bowers, Laurence Naismith, Andrew Cruickshank, Walter Fitzgerald, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Esma Cannon, Kenneth Griffith, Warren Mitchell, Graham Crowden, Cameos: Michael Bentine, Rodney Bewes, Dirk Bogarde, Sid James.

Directed by Wendy Toye.

British comedy at the beginning of the 1960s, broadening of humour, the period of the beginning of the Carry on series… And, glancing at the cast list, quite a number of names of popular British actors of the time and those who were emerging (and a couple of celebrity cameos, particularly Dirk Bogarde as Dr Simon Sparrow, his character in the Doctor series, where he played with Kenneth More). Sid James does a chuckling variation on his Carry on characters. Notable supporting performances from Kenneth Griffith and, especially, Warren Mitchell. And for fans of veteran actress, Esma Cannon, this is one that definitely should be seen, decked out in official royalty costume and with an accent!

There are several Americans in the cast because of the screenplay, notably Lloyd Nolan, first appearing in American films in the mid-1930s, a 50 years career, his last film Woody Allen’s Hannah and her Sisters.

Much of the screenplay now seems very corny. And there is a great deal of farce. There are interview sequences for inept candidates for the Navy. There are plenty of training sequences. But, with Kenneth More as the central character, always speaking out and being transferred to other jobs, put in command of three potential officers, Jeremy Lloyd (actor but later writer of such television series as Are You Being Served and ‘Ullo ‘Ullo), Dinsdale Landon and Derek Fowlds who came to prominence as the meek public servant in Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

There are sequences in the Riviera, clashes between the Brits and the Yanks, more farce about romance for Kenneth More.

Finally, an intervention in an African revolution, Kenneth Griffiths, often so meek on screen, as a yelling and ranting revolutionary, veteran Mischa Auer as two characters leading the country, extremely eccentric.

This comedy has, some humour, but a great deal of silliness as well.

CARRY ON CLEO

UK, 1964, 90 minutes, Colour.

Sid James, Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Amanda Barrie, Victor Maddern, Julie Stevens, Sheila Hancock, Jon Pertwee, Frances DeWolff, Warren Mitchell.

Directed by Gerald Thomas.

The late 1950s to the 1980s, the Carry On… franchise was extraordinarily popular

 Most of the films were produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas – and a few other films during this period, not Carry on comedies, but British comedies for the wide audience. The rite of this film was Talbot Roth will who began writing comedy sketches as a prisoner of war and putting on reviews, satirical touches, wordplay, Devil traditions, and risk a. He would continue to write many more of the Carry on comedies.

Many audiences, Carry on Cleo is one of the best. It has rather lavish sets and costumes – some noting that they were leftovers from production preparation for Cleopatra, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In fact, this film came out the year after Cleopatra’s release, Amanda Barrie made to look like a variation on Elizabeth Taylor, some parody of the extravagant film, the bath with asses milk, and the rolling of Cleopatra out of the carpet – but, this time, with accidental crash results.

The film relies on audience appreciation of historical spectacles, the early sequences of Caesar trying to conquer Britain and the rather primitive Britain’s and their way of life, the attack, many of them going as prisoners to Rome as slaves – with the slave market sequence and Warren Mitchell representing the slave company, Marcus and Spence serious!

One of the advantages of the Carry on films was the constant cast (though Hattie Jacques is missing from this film). Sid James is just himself as Marc Anthony, Tony to his friends, with Kenneth Williams is a most unlikely Julius Caesar. Kenneth, is one of the captured British, based on the tales of An guest and Horse, Connor, by accident a hero and promoted to Caesar’s guard. (, Relies on his ability to do all kinds of impersonations, especially effective in Watch Your Stern.) Jim Dale is a pleasant leader of the slaves.

There are all kinds of puns, some of them very obvious with the audience waiting for them to be pronounced, quite a lot of innuendo. One of the most famous and everybody comments on it, so also here, Kenneth Williams Caesar about to be assassinated, “infamy, infamy, they have all got it in for me”. And there is a running joke of everybody adding countrymen to Caesar’s exasperation when he starts off “friends, Romans…”. In the final corny joke at his death, playing on the Latin, I came, I saw, I conked out.

Which means then that while this could be considered as lowbrow comedy (and many did), it entertains the lowbrow in all of us.

TOMMY THE TOREADOR

UK, 1959, 90 minutes, Colour.

Tommy Steele, Janet Munro, Sidney James, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Purcell, Ferdy Maine, Kenneth Williams, Eric Sykes, Francis De Wolff, Warren Mitchell.

Directed by John Paddy Carstairs.

A piece of light, very light, entertainment from the UK in the spirit of the late 1950s. It was a star vehicle for Tommy Steele, emerging in the UK as a rock ‘n’ roll star, to rival Elvis Presley. However, he moved into light music entertainment, more a rival to Cliff Richard. This is his second film. In the later 1960s he was have success in The Happiest Millionaire, unions Rainbow, Where’s Charlie and, particularly, Half a Sixpence.

This is a colourful story of a sailor stranded in Spain, all kinds of problems, mistaken identity, accidentally saving a bullfighter, commandeered into being a toreador. There are all kinds of Mac nations about fighters and bulls, the main bullfighter arrested and imprisoned, his agent, Ferdy Maine, trying to get him out. And, rather unbelievable with Spanish accented English, Sid James and Bernard Cribbins as to entrepreneurs missing the bullfighter in jail, build up Tommy to take his place. And this is enhanced by Tommy’s accidental saving mother bullfighter, the son of the proprietor of the hotel where he and the senior, Janet Munro, who is got to know Peter being and are unable to pay! And there is a policeman on his trail.

It is in this film that Tommy Steele sings the very popular song, The Little White bull, joining with children in the performance.

In fact, the film was also very much a musical, quite a number of numbers, and, this film coming just before the Carry on series, it is a surprise to see Sid James and Bernard Cribbins combining with Tommy Steele in a song and dance routine! Definitely a sequence for Sid James fans. And, the singer has a manager, played by Eric Sykes who is said to have fame and popularity on television. And, in the role of a waiter, bewildered at the hotel, there is Warren Mitchell before his television and film career took off.

Then, all the atmosphere of the bullfight, the arena, the crowds, and Tommy going into all kinds of action, thinking he was with the kindly bull that he encountered, at the fiercest substitute confronting him, heroism, and running away, the various reactions of the crowd – and, of course, a happy ending and wedding bells.

BARNACLE BILL/ALL AT SEA

UK, 1957, 87 minutes, Black-and-white.

Alec Guinness, Irene Brown, Percy Herbert, Maurice Denham, Victor Maddern, Donald Pleasance, Warren Mitchell, Lionel Jeffries, Jackie Collins, Miles Malleson, Allan Cuthbertson, Charles Lloyd Pack, George Rose, Richard Wattis, Eric Pohlmann, Joan Hickson.

Directed by Charles Frend.

Barnacle Bill/All at Sea was Alec Guinness’ last comedy film, immediately after his Oscar win in The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957. And, it was the last of his Ealing comedies, his moving into more serious films into the 60s and 70s.

The film was written by T.E.B.Clark, author of many of the Ealing studios films, Passport to Pimlico, Lavender Hill Mob, films about individuals and their defying the authorities. It is the same here, Captain Ambrose, played by Guinness, has seafaring ancestors, even from the Stone Age, and/or visualised with Guinness playing each of them, but all suffering from seasickness and disasters. During World War II, in Ambrose tested vessels rather than going to see!

After the war, very seriously, he buys a pier on the coast, the ship Arabella, and turns it into the equivalent of the tourist ship. But, he runs foul of the local Council, leading to scenes of tourists enjoying the comforts of a sea voyage and some sabotage from the Council members.

It is brief, rather low-key, British comedy of the time, social commentary. And, looking at the cast, it is filled with quite a number of well-known British character actors of the period or who were to emerge successfully in coming decades in television series – Warren Mitchell, Donald Pleasance, Joan Hickson… And, yes, that is the Jackie Collins in the cast!

Direction was by Charles Frend, who directed many of the significant British films, especially the 1940s and 50s, including Scott of the Antarctic and The Cruel Sea.

1. From Ealing studios in the 1950s? An Alec Guinness vehicle and his Ealing Studios films? The individual against the corporations?
2. Ealing Studios comedy, the writer, the directors, British humour, situations, character actors? Musical score?
3. The title, given the alternate All at Sea?
4. The introduction to Captain Ambrose, a celebrity, the honours, his manner, perfectly straightforward sometimes mischievous humour? The interviews, his reputation, at the pub, the rum cask, going to the bank, his money account, the staff, listening to his story, at the end, the celebrity mood?
5. Captain Ambrose’s story? His ancestors, from the Stone Age, Francis Drake, the Later Sea Captain, World War I – and Alec Guinness playing all roles? Seasickness and the way that it was manifested, the comic tragedies?
6. Captain Ambrose and his war career, seasick, the audience thinking he was at dea, but his career in demonstrating seasickness in various vessels?
7. His decision to buy the Arabella, the pier? Very serious, spending his money? The initial encounter with Mrs Barrington and her accusations? Going to the pier, the staff, seriously setting up the ship and the crew? The first officer and reliance on him? The performance, the Houdini -like character, the Captain tying him up in a bag, unable to get out?
8. Captain Ambrose vision for the pier, looking at the slot machines, the police, getting the young expert, his knowing how to win with skill? The machines being allowed? The youngsters, the rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere, taunting Captain Ambrose, coming to the concert, the talent not turning up? Playing the piano, dancing, the ripping up of the seats, providing the dance area, the youngsters enjoying it?
9. The plan to turn the Arabella into a cruise ship, holidays, yet at the pier? The work, the volunteers, the transformation? The dining area, the pool, all the luxuries?
10. The Mayor, his visits and discussions, the Council meetings, his henchmen, legal advice, Mrs Barrington? Corruption? The decision to improve the seafront, threatening Mrs Barrington’s dressing cabins, upset, the encounter with Captain Ambrose, his taking them, installing, her supporting him, her transformation, drinking the rum?
11. The crowds, coming aboard, the atmosphere of the luxury ship? The staff? Captain happily moving amongst his guests? The young lovers always hiding in boats et cetera?
12. The Council, their plans, the confrontations, the turncoat, swimming underwater engaging the depths, seen by the drinking Captain? Looking at the radar? Reality, his being Captain, interrogated?
13. The Council and the plan, sending out the boat, underwater, the Captain, facing his seasickness, Mrs Barrington’s cure, corset and earplugs? Going out, the confrontation, the four in the cage, trying to escape, Captain Ambrose and the machinery, capturing the Council?
14. The legal issues, the cruise ship and the foreign government and the permits? Sawing the connection so as not to pay shore taxes?
15. Small British comedies of the 1950s, the humour, still entertaining even if they look dated?