Nicht jetzt, Liebling

When it comes to stripping beautiful young women down to their underwear for the most gratuitous of reasons, no one can outdo the English. The plot, such as it is, revolves around Leslie Phillips conniving attempts to get Janie McMichael into bed. His plans inevitably go astray, leading to half-naked girls hiding in the closet, jealous husbands raging through the office, and at three of the female cast least losing their clothes in this unmistakably British comedy of errors. Probably the best of Leslie Phillips' seventies bedroom farces, which included "Spanish Fly," "Don't Just lie there, Say Something," "Doctor in Trouble", and the infamous "Not Now Comrade".

It has been a quarter-century since I saw this movie, which was making a far-east tour of military bases in the early 70's (1974?), and I thought then (and still think so now) that it was one of the funniest movies I had ever had the pleasure of seeing. Although it was probably not as well made as some movies, it made up for that in hilarious content. I can still remember how much I laughed and enjoyed myself. Don't know if you can (or will) use these comments, but I've been looking for this picture ever since I first saw it, and just wish I could find it again. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best), I would rate this film a 9 or 9.5.

One can tell in the fashion of the writing that this is adapted from the stage: the feature is characterized by long scenes, with deliberate timing and no meaningful variation in setting, and a small rotation of characters coming and going. That tight focus allows the interactions between characters to flourish, and it's a great pleasure that star Ray Cooney and co-writer John Chapman do us the honor of translating their own play to film - and that Cooney also doubles (triples?) as co-director. With these sharp minds guiding the production, 'Not now darling' is allowed to revel in the utmost farce of the scenario, the characters, and the fantastic dialogue. I wasn't sure what to expect as I began watching, but in no time I was laughing - this is so, so good!

The twisted tangles the characters quickly knot is rife with outstanding comedy - exaggerated characters, sight gags, marvelous wordplay and repartee, sex jokes and innuendo, and a little bit of physical humor to taste. The fun is as endless as it is fast-paced, and while the timing from one instant to the next is impeccable, every minute is filled with so much wild freewheeling that I never once lost the smile from my face. The entire cast is exceptional, all true delights as they bring these snappy 90 minutes to life. For all the madcap energy herein, they nonetheless demonstrate great range, nuance, and physicality befitting the ridiculousness - showing even in this capacity that each is a swell actor. One can hardly even name a favorite; the moment I do, I think of one of their co-stars.

Relatively simple as the production is, everything here looks and sounds good, even though it didn't need to be. Needlessly but gratifyingly complementing the silliness are elements like Cyril Ornadel's vibrant original music, the cheeky costume design, smart set design and decoration, vivid cinematography, and so on and so forth. Of course, these take a back seat as the bustling romp never loses our attention; one doesn't like to make one comparison after another, but I'm reminded at times of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus.' And I think that's really about all the more I can say without beginning to betray plot points or some of the jokes: anchored with superb performances and terrific, funny writing, 'Not now darling' strikes me as an underappreciated gem that demands more recognition. I should note a fair bit of nudity, and that the narrative revolves an antiquated concept (high-end fur coats) that are thankfully going away, but even with those caveats in mind, I enthusiastically give this my very highest recommendation - this is worth going out of your way to find!

I recall that this film was made using a multi camera system.So that two or three cameras would be used to save time on setups.I also believe that it was taped,edited and then transferred to film.Ray Cooney who wrote this takes a rare leading role.He also co directs with David Croft of Dads Army fame.The problem is that he acts as if he is on the stage.Every line accompanied by a gesture.Compare this with the more restrained performance of Leslie Phillips.There are a lot of well known actors in this.Cicely Courtneidge making her last screen performance and Jack Hulbert his penultimate one.Jackie Paolo makes an appearance,then at the height of his TV wrestling fame.The problem is that the play may have been funny on stage but lacks sparkle on film.

Farce doesn't film well. There's are very few exceptions to that axiom (Peter Bogdanovich's "Noises Off" (1992) is one of them.) What can be hilarious on the stage often falls totally flat on the big screen. The sheer physicality of madcap farce gets lost as does the frenetic excitement inherent to the genre. Even the classic Feydeau farces "A Flea in Her Ear" (1968) and "Hotel Parasdiso" (1966) failed to deliver the goods, despite their star casts.

Farce became a mainstay of the British theatre where for decades there was hardly a time when some farce wasn't pulling in the crowds in the West End. Noted farceur Ray Cooney enjoyed particular success with a string of hit plays which were performed all over the world and have become staple fare for amateur dramatic societies.

It's seems only natural that a stage success should be put onto the big screen. "No Sex Please We're British" (1973), "Not Now Comrade" (1976) and "Don't Just Lie There Say Something" (1974) were all lame affairs and Cooney's "Run for Your Wife" (2012) bombed.

In the light of that preamble, 1973's "Not Now Darling" is something of a miracle. One of the reason's for the success of the movie is that it is in fact not really a movie at all, but rather a filmed stage play. The wise decision was made not to open it out, something screen adaptions felt obliged to do in an attempt to avoid staginess. Opening out a farce drops the pace which can be ruinous. "Not Now Darling" remains a rare record of British farce at its best.

Cooney was at the top of his game, penning smart and funny dialog delivered here by some true pros, all, or almost all, with vast stage experience, and all exhibiting spot-on timing, First and foremost is the great Leslie Philips, doing pretty much what he always did: the charming cad. He is partnered by Ray Cooney himself, in a hilarious turn. They are wonderfully supported by Carry On stalwarts Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor, together with seasoned stage performers Moira Lister, Bill Fraser and Derren Nesbitt. Rounding out the top-notch cast are the husband-and-wife veteran stage and screen stars Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge (her last screen performance) who are a joy to behold.

And then there's former beauty queen Julie Ege. No self-respecting sixties farce was without one or more sexy ladies who did little besides show off their bodies. Unlike her co-stars, Ege had no stage experience at all and after a brief and very minor screen career, returned to her native Norway and became a nurse. She had previously been signed to Hammer films who hoped "Creatures the World Forgot" would shoot her to international stardom as their "One Million Years B. C." had done for Raquel Welch. It was not to be. Ege's finest hour on screen is without doubt her appearance in "Not Now Darling". She is stunning to look at and turns in a very competent and funny performance and seems to be enjoying every minute.

Farce isn't for all tastes. While considered a lowbrow genre, done well it clearly demands dramatic skill, impeccable timing, physicality and great teamwork. "Not Now Darling" has all of those and shouldn't be missed by fans of the genre.