Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me

Something only the British could do: turn a national treasure into a boring, kitchen sink subject matter. I agree with what others have said; Raif Spall and David Walliams do a good acting job, but the story is hopelessly lackluster. I recently watched Howerd on some old Michael Parkinson interviews, and there's a day and night difference between what's depicted in this movie and what Howerd was actually like. He came over as an articulate, charming, open person who was remarkably frank (no pun intended). No wonder his sister didn't like this film. My recollection is that Haymer didn't like it either, even though it's essentially about him with Howerd tagged on. This is the sad fate that lies in store for successful Brit comedians: an inaccurate, depressing, posthumous biopic that misrepresents their life as if it were some kind of Greek tragedy that was doomed to failure from the start.

Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me (2008) -

I seemed to recall enjoying this biographic film a lot more the first time around. Maybe it was the titillating sexual bits that aroused my attention at the time, but I certainly felt that I would have given David Walliams awards for his role as the leading man Frankie Howerd back then, but actually on this second viewing I wasn't sure that he was actually all that amazing.

I've never really liked Dave as an artist anyway, but he made Frankie out to be a bit of a perve here, he was greasy and lecherous in a seedy way. I could however see that there were perhaps some blurred lines that had to be dealt with regarding his suppressed sexuality and feelings of shame, that could only have been done in that sort of way, but it didn't endear me to the real Frankie.

While David did achieve some of the mannerisms and the inflections of the 'Up Pompeii' (1969-70 & 1971) star, I didn't feel that he delivered his rendering of the comedian as well as many of the others that I've seen from the same biopic films - Michael Sheen as Kenneth Williams in 'Fantabulosa!' (2006) for one and Daniel Rigby & Bryan Dick as Morecambe and Wise in 'Eric & Ernie' for another.

Rafe Spall however certainly stood out as Howerd's Manager and life partner Dennis Heymer. I think this might have been the first thing that I saw him perform in and the one that made me appreciate him as an actor to the point where I watch almost everything that he turns up in.

In a lot of ways the film was more about Heymer than of Frankie, with the star used as a vehicle to tell Dennis' story instead, which I didn't mind, but felt it was off topic and not what I'd turned up for.

Unfortunately, because of Frankie's own personal issues with being gay and what seemed like a mental health issue of some sort, it made being a homosexual almost appear to be as dirty and wrong as Frankie thought it was, but I wasn't sure if that was deliberate. I supposed that because of the time the film was set, between the 1950's and the 1960's, there was a lot of seedy get togethers behind closed doors, but as the film was depicting what was most likely a loving relationship in reality, there wasn't a lot of the niceties of a romance. Maybe if it had been 15-20 minutes longer it could have included some light in their couples life as well as what seemed like a lot of dark. Surely Dennis didn't stay with him for all of those years without feeling some affection towards Frankie? And although his reasoning for that was shown in little bits, it was very subtle and I personally would have liked to have seen a lot more affection between them.

I still enjoyed the story and generally the artistic and sometimes thoughtful way that the film was made. As someone who longs to be a part of it all I've always appreciated tales of celebrity, so it was interesting to see how one of those that I've laughed at and enjoyed watching had made it through each day to keep entertaining, despite some low points in his career, that seemed to mar the high ones for him.

Not a bad film, but I thought that it could have been a really great one with a bit more attention.

699.02/1000.

RATHER YOU THAN ME concentrates on the private life of comedian Frankie Howerd (David Walliams), a closet homosexual at a time when such practices were against the law in Great Britain. He lived what might be described as a 'discreet' existence with Dennis Heymer (Rafe Spall), making sure that they never embraced in public. Peter Harness' drama focuses on Howerd's tortured mental state: the experience of being abused as a child scarred his existence for life, rendering him both fearful yet disgusted with his sexual tendencies. He had a close attachment to his mother (Dilys Laye) who rarely said anything about her son's proclivities, yet was obviously well aware of them. This play concentrates mainly on Howerd's career during the Fifties, when he was one of radio's top comedians, then experienced a period of alarming decline. It was only when Peter Cook (David Reed) asked him to appear for a season at the newly-created Establishment Club that Howerd's career fortunes improved. The experience of failure rendered him even more bitter - forcing Heymer to threaten to leave him more than once. But the two eventually remained together for many years, right up to Howerd's late-flowering fortunes in the Eighties and early Nineties, when he was invited to perform at the Oxford Union. David Walliams gives a creditable performance as Howerd, even though he tends to put his tongue in cheek (literally) a little too much. What makes this drama so engaging are the quality of the supporting characterizations, from Spall's long-suffering Dennis, to Sally Leonard's Jane (Howerd's long-term female companion). A melancholy tale, certainly, but one which emphasizes the difficulties, both mental and physical, experienced by many personalities at a time when they could not reveal their true sexualities in public.

After the three excellent preceding entries in this quartet, (Steptoe,Hancock,Hughie Green)this was a considerable disappointment.

I've no complaint with the performances, both David Walliams and Rafe Spall as Howerd & Heymer respectively were on top form. Where Rather You Than Me falls down, as opposed to the three previous entries is it's lacklustre script, which can't make up its mind whether to concentrate on Howerd or Heymer and falls limply between the two.

This cramped production lasting barely sixty minutes, seems more interested in Heymer's uninteresting sex life than exploring Howerd himself. So we are then subjected to scenes of dimly lit homosexual nightclubs and sweaty couplings, whilst Howerd sits morosely at home.

Poor old Frank is made to look so miserable and dull, you wonder how he ever made people laugh at all. Further insight into his character by the writers would have revealed that despite his depressive nature, he could also be humorous and great company as his many friends including Cilla Black and June Whitfield would bare witness to. (Happiness doesn't sell progamme's it seems)

I'm sad to say that Rather You Than Me is a kick in the teeth to a great comic.

This programme only serves as a kick in the backside to the memory of Frankie Howerd. In this he's portrayed as the most boring person to ever walk the face of the planet, albeit via a pretty decent impression by David Walliams. Good actor, crap script.

If you want to see an inaccurate story (I use the term story very loosely) of a comedy legend interlaced with a load of pointless homo-erotic scenes and watch a pretty good impression of Frankie Howard but doing the worlds unfunniest stand up routines then this is for you. Personally I think its an insult to Mr Howerds memory. He may have been a depressive and he may have been homosexual but if you're going to devote an entire show to Just those two aspects of him and exaggerate them massively, at least have the decency to have some sort of story to it.

It starts , plods along and ends. I finished watching it not two minutes ago and couldn't tell you what it was about! Shame really, because Walliams voice and demeanour were perfect, Rafe Spall's acting was excellent, everything else about the film was not.