Man About the House

December 2021

Just watched this again, i must say i had forgotten just how likeable this classic British comedy was and its full of very recognisable faces.

This film and TV series unusually lead to 2 spin off series, Robins Nest as well as George and Mildred!

Fun film

8 out of 10.

A film spin off from the hugely popular British situation comedy of the same name, it stars Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy. When a development company tries to buy all the houses in their street, flatmates Robin, Chrissy and Jo decide to help their landlords in staving off the buy out.

The material here is sadly too thin that it wastes what was always a damn fine cast. The sexy spark between Robin and the two girls is still there, and Mildred's (Joyce) sexual frustration with hubby George (Murphy) continues; with an interesting twist added a film's culmination, yet it's all very tired and short on laughs. You know you are trouble when you have to resort to a gastric stomach problem to hang your big laugh sequence on. Still, the cast are always watchable (I have been in love and lust with Wilcox since forever), while small appearances by Arthur Lowe and Spike Milligan are most welcome diversions from the poor screenplay. 5/10

MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE is another Hammer Films version of a popular TV series, this time about the misadventures of a trio of twentysomethings sharing an apartment in London. I took an instant dislike to this film thanks to the lank-haired layabout lead, Richard O'Sullivan, who seems to spend his whole time putting down women and coming out with un-PC humour.

The film as a whole doesn't transfer to the format as well as Hammer's ON THE BUSES trilogy and it feels instead rather like a padded-out episode of the TV show. The loose storyline involves some unscrupulous developers attempting to knock down the abode of our characters, so they decide to fight back. Some very broad comedy, involving endless games of strip poker and monopoly and laxatives, follows.

The humour is sometimes funny but seems to be rather mild and restrained for the most part, although it does have its moments. The romance stuff between the leads is pretty boring, although it is fun to see Sally Thomsett (THE RAILWAY CHILDREN) playing somebody her own age just four years after masquerading as a kid in that childhood classic. As ever, the endless cameos (Bill Pertwee, Bill Maynard, Arthur Lowe, Spike Milligan) are the highlight here.

Caught on ITV hub. This film (c.1974) adaptation of the 1970's TV series has a storyline that might be remarkably prescient for the 21st century.

A property developer is buying up the series of Edwardian terraces on Myddleton terrace, one of which Robin Tripp, Chrissy and Jo occupy. Their landlord's being George (Brian Murphy) and Mildred (Yootha Joyce). The right thinking trio mount a petition to halt the development and there the story begins in earnest. I did feel that the storyline somewhat petered out, this was clearly a spin-off from the popular tv series and I'm not sure it was completely pulled off in that regard.

Love the locations and 70's era comedy - which despite the 'prevailing attitudes of its time' shows remarkably strong female characters getting one up on the male protagonists.

The entire main cast of the series are involved. The Film could be an extended episode of the series, which is always a plus in my opinion. The series has been shown regularly on Paramount 2 & UK Gold (or Granada Plus)The show always brings a smile to my face and uplifts my spirits. I think this is due to the fact that it takes me back to the simpler happy days of my youth; mind you those 70's fashion styles do make me cringe sometimes. There are some duplication of certain actors in the series. I only noticed them when I watched the repeats en bloc. Norman Eshley (actor) plays a unfaithful husband who dates Chrissy (Paula Wilcox)in one of the early episodes, then turns up as Robins (Richard O'Sullivan) brother in the last series and ends up marrying Chrissy at the end of the series. John Carlin plays Larrys (Doug Fisher) Landlord before Larry moves to the Ropers and then turns up in a later episode as a Barman in the local. I was sorry to hear of the passing of Doug Fisher. He added much to the series as Robins friend a 'Jack the Lad' character.