Penny Points to Paradise

You probably wonder what i mean about "An Artist is Borne... and the Birth was not Very Good", the artist is Peter Sellers, and the birth is this movie 'Penny Points to Paradise', so simple is that.

The Goons first movie together is slightly better than there's second attempt at making one (Down Among the Z Men), and the characters is also slightly funnier, and the whole thing is just more lively in a way, but not perfect by a mile, most of the jokes fall flat, and sometimes it's just boring to look at. I frequently ask myself why Milligan and Secombe didn't gave the leading role to Sellers, it's obviously him that rule at being fun, it's hard to understand but there must have been a reason... and yes the story is pretty thin.

Sellers himself didn't like the movie at all, actually this was what he said about it... "It really was a terrifyingly bad film!' As you will see when you watch it" (sentence remembered by Vic Pratt, one of Sellers friends), I wouldn't use the same words as Sellers, I would rather say it's 60% bad and 40% good, because it's not utterly bad, but also it isn't so good that you want to buy it, it's more like a movie you rent, and just watch because it's Peter Sellers first feature film... if your a fan of him or The Goons, it's a (MUST-SEE)

"Penny Points to Paradise" is the first feature film to star the three members of the popular "The Goon Show" that aired on British radio from 1951 to 1960. But this is a comedy with a very thin plot that bounces all over the place, from parodies of silent films and vaudeville, to slapstick and antics. That latter was the style of Red Skelton, Laurel and Hardy, and the Marx Brothers. It may yet have appealed to some in 1951, but by the mid-20th century most of these types of comedy were fast becoming a thing of the past. And, aside from an interesting cast, this film has very little going for it in the 21st century.

The leads here all had talent, and all audiences will know Peter Sellers who went on to worldwide fame with a considerable number of great comedy films. The plot for this film is very skimpy and the screenplay is even worse. The movie starts off as a parody of silent films, with bouncy piano playing included. But that soon becomes annoying, and it repeats for two more scenarios in the film. Those include car scenes and chases reminiscent of the Keystone Kops.

No doubt Harry Secombe was very good as a comedian in his day, but most of his varied antics and changes in persona don't go over well many decades later. He very closely resembles Red Skelton at times. Sellers has two roles, but neither of those have any good comedy. Marks is somewhat funny just for his persona as the big guy shyster who's full of himself, but his accomplice, Digger, can do little more than spew what are supposed to be comical complaints.

While Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers had been in a few films before, this was the first film of Spike Milligan. Only four other members of this film cast had or would have much of a career in cinema. Alfred Marks is the shyster Edward Haynes; Bill Kerr is his accomplice, Digger Graves; Vicky Page is Sheila Gilroy; and Sam Kydd is the cross-eyed porter. Most of the rest of this cast have no other films to their credit, including hazel Jennings who plays the Landlady with a considerable part. Marks and Paddie O'Neill, who plays Christine Russell, would marry the next year, for life, and have two children. O'Neill likely gave up the cinema to be a homemaker, but she clearly shows the talent to have had an entertainment career.

The only thing that keeps this film from a complete bore is the scenario toward the end when most of the cast wind up fleeing and chasing in a wax museum. The frequent posing and costume changing to fit into various wax displays is amusing. Here are a couple of lines - the best of the humorous dialog in the script.

Landlady, "There's a lovely view of the sea from the window if you stand on a chair and lean well out"

Spike Donnelly, "Listen, big guy, you're a terrific man. You're a financial lizard." Edward Haynes, "Wizard, laddie, wizard."

This film is an odd mixture of about fifty/fifty success and failure, but manages to remain quite enjoyable withal: Monty Python, however, it ain't.

It's a somewhat odd experience for those, such as myself, with only a passing acquaintance with the Goons, to see them in person rather than just as radio voices. I had no idea that Harry Secombe was so short, for instance, or Spike Milligan could be so unexpectedly good-looking. And they take advantage of the new medium to experiment with some purely visual comedy, for example Secombe's mimed surgical operation. The hit rate for this, though, is about the same as for the verbal humour: about half of it worked for me and the other half didn't.

The most consistently impressive performer is Alfred Marks, who appears to be channelling Alistair Sim in his role as a smooth criminal mastermind; his derogatory relationship with the sidekick he calls 'Laddie' is almost invariably hilarious. The statuesque Paddy O'Neill's impression of Bette Davis is also wickedly apt, while she and Vicki Page as Sheila have a good double-act going. The Goons have a tendency towards being manic just for the sake of it (epitomised in the speeded-up sequences, a form of Keystone Kops comedy that just doesn't work for me at all) but come up with some nice sequences.

The history of the print we saw was chequered, the picture having been cut for re-issue under the title "Penny Points" with some of the footage surviving only in 16mm format (and apparently extra footage of Peter Sellers interspersed to take advantage of his increased fame!) The differing quality of certain scenes did, however, provide the opportunity to see just what had been cut; largely plot-development and dialogue scenes between the set-piece gags, by the look of it, and certainly the restoration gives the impression of being an improvement.

By and large I found this film about as funny as the average Goon Show episode (which were always a bit haphazard), although not as funny as the best of them... but then I'd been told to expect the worst by two separate people before the screening started, and was consequently quite pleasantly surprised! Provided you don't expect too much this film is quite enjoyable, and manages to avoid being tedious or annoying throughout.

This film represents Peter Sellars first screen role and is some inspired, if amateurish, madness from 'the Goons'. (for those who don't know, the Goon show was an hilarious radio show broadcast in England in the 50's, it featured Peter Sellars, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, who all feature in this film) The plot is a vague story about counterfeiting but it is mainly a framework on which to hang the off kilter jokes and wordplays that are the goons trademarks. Harry (Harry Secombe) wins some money in the pools and decides to go on holiday to bristol with his friend Spike (Spike Milligan). However some dastardly counterfeiters try to relieve him of his winnings. Meanwhile Peter Sellars plays 3 different comic roles foreshadowing his multiple roles in films of the future. This film is simple and low-budget, however it has genuine laughs. I recommend it for any fan of any of the three Goons. (Although prints seems to be extremely rare as I am the only person I have encountered who has seen it!)

I was never a fan of the Goons, but I'm a sucker for anything that looks remotely obscure so thought I'd give this early effort of theirs a go. It's quite good, with some inspired moments to be found amongst the more mundane material. Secombe and Milligan play a couple of innocents, one of whom has won £100,000 on the pools, who return to their holiday boarding house in Brighton only to find themselves the target of gold-diggers and con-men. Highlights include the rather well-built Paddy O'Neill pulling off a clever Bette Davis impersonation, and Freddie Frinton as a drunk who angrily berates the person he's talking to for walking away from him without realising he is actually the one staggering backwards (well, I thought it was funny, anyway). Although he has a couple of parts, Peter Sellers does little other than announce to the world his insuperable skill at making a limited comic talent stretch an