Not Now, Comrade

Its a shame that the previous comments seem to have focused on so much negative and missed the positive of what was always intended to be a very lighthearted comedy in the style of the Carry On films.

Sets, budget and production are certainly low priority but the script is classic British humour from the 70's and to me is easily as funny as the best Carry On's .. and some parts still make me laugh out loud despite having viewed the film many times to cheer myself up on a rainy day. The best of which has to be the wonderful Ray Kinnear's encounter with the stripper/love interest in the bushes outside the house.

As for the 'self referential marxist theme'comment (??!) I can only say lighten up! This is a silly piece of comedy, not a Chekov play. In a world where CGI is beginning to replace any semblance of a script, its refreshing to see something so simple and intended purely for entertainment.

NOT NOW, COMRADE is a Cold War-themed British farce adapted from his own play by Ray Cooney, who also co-directs alongside TV veteran Harold Snoad (the guy later behind KEEPING UP APPEARANCES). Most of it is set inside a household where various characters are trying to evade the authorities and some are planning to defect to Britain and back to Russia again. It all gets rather complicated, as you'd expect, so it's best to think of this as a film about a bunch of oddballs and their high-energy interactions.

I think the film works well because it has a clear CARRY ON influence in its lightness of touch and slapstick jokes. I particularly enjoyed the endless innuendos which are mild enough to remain clean and yet humorous at the same time. Plus, there's a who's who British cast to enjoy. Leslie Phillips plays an older variation of his usual characters while Ian Lavender is a toffish buffoon. Roy Kinnear has some of the funniest moments as the exasperated gardener. Windsor Davies and Don Estelle have good cameos and the latter sings the title song. Carol Hawkins has little to do other than show her charms but she does that well enough and Michele Dotrice has some of Betty's exasperation about her. Lewis Fiander (DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE) is all camp as the ballet dancer and June Whitfield has a bit part. Richard Marner's goofy Russian seems to be a dry run for Colonel Von Strohm. It's good clean fun, and sorely underrated.

OK, it's not nearly as funny as NOT NOW DARLING but if you enjoy a good old fashioned farce, you'll enjoy this. It's not Carry On type humour and it's definitely not one of those appalling sex comedies, it's the sort of thing you'd watch at a theatre and laugh so hard it hurts.

Like a lot of comedy plays however which work brilliantly on the stage, it loses the intimacy when put on film. Sharing the same space, being in the same room as actors makes live comedy personal and special which can't quite be captured on celluloid. Nevertheless this almost works. Despite its slow start, it builds up to the most wonderfully silly crescendo when nobody is quite sure who they're having to pretend to be, why they're there and why a policeman is chasing them.

Sophisticated subtle and thought provoking this is not. Three dimensional believable characters acted with emotion and pathos, this does not provide. None of that matters because it's just fun in the tradition of Will Hay or The Aldwych Farces of the 1930s up to the more recent ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS. For a mid-seventies film, it's also refreshingly good clean fun - as I said, this is not one of those tawdry, smutty sex comedies popular back then. The roots of this style of comedy goes all the way back to the old music halls - the roots of this particular film was a stage play in the mid sixties.

Don't expect a traditional film with proper movie acting and traditional movie sets, except a filmed live comedy show. Expect a crazy hour and a half of traditional seaside postcard innuendo, the obligatory man losing his trousers (although not in front of the usual embarrassed vicar), exasperated people running in and out of rooms, mistaken identity and of course Leslie Phillips.

Disappointing after the first NOT NOW picture but still an absolute delight.

Or at least to begin with,as Striptease Artiste Barbara(Delectable Carol Hawkins)wearing the aforementioned strategically placed tassels and little else,successfully disrupts a photo-shoot of a Moscow Ballet Company,in order to facilitate the escape of her defecting Ballet star boyfriend Rudi(Amusing Lewis Fiander) to her waiting car.Unfortunately,he climbs into the boot of the wrong vehicle! This belongs to Naval Commander Rimmington(Leslie Phillips),who drives off home,and the frantic "Adventure" begins! The Film is full of Broad British humour,typical of the Seventies:Farce,Innuendo and even Slapstick:Politically Incorrect and Funny for sure. Much of the Innuendo is centred on Barbara and her obvious charms! All of the cast of British Comedy Stalwarts,several appearing in very popular t.v.Sitcoms of the time,rise appropriately to the occasion. Ian Lavender,as Civil Servant Gerry Buss(Also Boyfriend of the Commander's Daughter Nancy),has as much screen time as anyone,including pretending to be both the Commander and Rudi when called upon! Michele Dotrice(Nancy) and Carol Hawkins are fun in their respective roles,as is Roy Kinnear as the increasingly paranoic Gardener,Hoskins. Co-Director Ray Cooney is also amusing as the initially staid Mr. Laver,the MI 6 man,who' loosens up' as his drink ratio increases. Windsor Davies is the local Constable doing his best to sort out the escalating confusion,determined to get his man,even if it's the wrong one!June Whitfield and Don Estelle(Who also sings the Title song) appear later in the proceedings to add to the hilarity in important,if limiting roles. Add the two pursuing Russian KGB men into the mix also! If you enjoy this very British Entertainment of the period then this movie is for you!

How can you not like a film that has Carol Hawkins getting her kit off in the first 5 minutes?! A great little snapshot of an England that no longer exists more's the pity. Lots of cheeky British 70's humour which you'll either love or will be appalled by. A good cast too who give it their all. So often these saucy films fell flat, but this one doesn't, it's actually funny.