Keep It Clean

What a mess! This ill-formed comedy has three threads in a slubby mess. Ronald Shiner has invented a device which cleans any surface immediately and is trying to raise a hundred pounds to get it to market. Jean Cadell and her "Purity League" is against any forth of moral filth, particularly the pretty girl in the advertisement that James Hayter's advertising agency has devised for her family firm. There's also goings-on between Tonia Bern, a singer in a racy show and a member of Hayter's staff. To make sure the audience knows that this is a comedy, characters have names like 'Tarbottom' and 'Bounceboy'. It all ends in a chase in which nothing seems to be resolved, but the movie ends.

Given that R.F. Delderfield had a hand in the script, and the cast includes actors like Joan Sims, it seems astonishing that not only is this an ill-spirited and unfunny effort, but that it was released at all. It's an early example of the sort of mildly racy comedies best remembered from the CARRY ON series. However, this sort of sniggering, chaos lacks even the well-formed burlesque humor of that comparatively distinguished series

A very unfunny film with lots of shouting and bellowing from the film's main star, Ronald Shiner, who for some odd reason seems to have been popular with comedy film goers in the 40' and 50's. Lots of silly, end of pier, third rate slap - stick antics, together with a crass storyline, and painfully contrived situations, makes this film a total dud! Watch out for the very cheesy dance sequences and the one song which was sleep inducing! Sorry, but after ten minutes into watching this awful film, I lost interest!

"Bert" (Ronald Shiner) is a quick-witted wide-boy who manages to upset the formidable "Mrs. Anstey" (the Martita Hunt-esque Jean Cadell) with one of his ad campaigns. She threatens to withdraw her lucrative account leading his boss "Bouncenboy" (James Hayter) with no choice but to fire the man! Meantime, his sister is married to an eccentric aristocrat and "Lord Hurlingham" (Colin Gordon) has invented an all-powerful vacuum cleaner. "Bert" decides that his future and that of his employer could be salvaged if they can find a way to promote this new gadget whilst engaging with their irate former patron and her "Purity League"! Maybe the solution is to involve all three? Maybe "Mrs. Anstey" needs a new hoover for her manor house? Ursula Howells adds a little to the limited comedy mix as do Denis Shaw and a few scenes from Joan Simms, but for the most part this is just a showcase for Shiner and though it's not dreadful, it's all just a little too predictable and stereotypical. Standard afternoon cinema that does raise the occasional titter, but that's about all.

What a pity one cannot award certain films a 'minus'. This has to be one of the most egregious, tasteless and utterly worthless films ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting public. Should there be a Circle of Hell reserved for fifth-rate directors then I have little doubt that David Paltenghi resides there. A previous reviewer has seen fit to give this pile of tripe a '7'. He has obviously derived a perverse pleasure from playing Devil's Advocate!

Ronnie Shiner was a big star in the 1950s particularly for ABPC>Anyone watching this film must wonder why.Every line is shouted out with lots of mugging as if he is trying to reach the people sitting at the rear of a theatre.Mind you everyone else is at it so maybe the director is to blame.The cast is actually quite decent including a very young Joan Simms pre Carry On.However even they cannot save this witless farce from inducing terminal boredom in the viewer..I defy anyone watching this film to last more than 30 minutes without loosing interest.Difficult for me to believe that i was a great fan of his and always used to go and see his films in the fifties and sixties.Thankfully i did not waste my 4/- when this load of rubbish was shown in the cinema and you should not waste your time now.