The Best of Benny Hill

If this is the best of Benny Hill then I hate to see the worst of him! Like with the Monty Python vehicle AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, THE BEST OF BENNY HILL is a compilation of various clips from his long-running TV series, added together to form a feature-length film.

I suppose this kind of humour isn't bad if you're in the right forgiving mood, but I quickly tired of Hill's constant mugging and cross-dressing and I have to say that I didn't find much of it very funny. There are some truly witty and clever moments here, and the life and death of the guy in five minutes is hilarious and very well portrayed. But many of the other clips consist of obvious jokes and strained, repetitive humour.

Hill is certainly an energetic performer and some of that enthusiasm comes across here, but not enough. Too many of the jokes consist of women stripping but that kind of thing was funnier in the CARRY ON films, I reckon. Still, if you're a fan of the comedian then you'll enjoy this anyway, and that theme tune IS classic. It's just that for me, Benny Hill is better in short doses.

Benny Hill is Britain`s greatest ever TV comedian but this TVM compilation of his television show isn`t perhaps the best tribute . My complaint isn`t so much with what`s included but more with what`s not . For example what about the oft used sight gag of someone doing an intricate martial arts move only to have Benny pull out a gun and shoot them ? ( Indiana Jones does the same gag in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK ), or the legendary " Flashdance " where a bunch of flashers do a dance routine with raincoats ? What about the classic sketch of a man with a goose stuck down his trousers that keeps sticking its head out of his flies ? And how can you miss out send ups of WORLD OF SPORT or SALE OF THE CENTURY ? I guess the send ups are missing because this film has its eyes on an American/ international market and no one outside of Britain would know about the shows getting the Hill treatment.

Anyway let`s concentrate on what we did get .... A hilarious chatshow spoof called TUPPERTIME where chatshow host Tommy Tupper invites Britain`s oldest man , a footballing Vicar , a pipe smoking hellraising actor and a drunken singer onto his show with shocking results . Steve Coogan made a career out of the same idea . And we get to see Mr Chinaman arrive at immigration to be greeted by Bob Todd`s Indian immigration officer : " Why you broody repleat evelything ? You got clopped eels ? I`ll give you broody clumbs " . And of course we get Hill`s angels in various states of ( Un)dress

Entertaining enough but not too representive of the comic genius of Benny Hill

In a collection of the best jokes, characters and sketches from several series of his television series, Benny Hill presents his usual brand of humour. Dressed as a woman he delivers all types of innuendo and confusion, his attempts at serious acting are frustrated by costars, is in an old film that is badly edited, is a doctor in a rather unusual hospital and many other hilarious sketches.

When I look back to the comedy from the UK in the 1970's too often I see it being infested with a crude sexual humour that can be seen in the downward slide of the Carry On series, the Confessions Of series, On The Buses and plenty of other comedies that rely on shapely young ladies, "dirty old men" and innuendo in place of real wit or imagination. Thinking back with hindsight over the comedies that I watched that influenced the sense of humour I have today, it tends to be stuff like Woody Allen, Spike Milligan, the Goons, Morecambe and Wise and perhaps the likes of Frankie Howerd – the humour I like tends towards the acerbic, cynical, darker and perhaps even a little tragic; sadly few of these words spring to mind when one is discussing Benny Hill. For that reason I must admit that I laughed only two or three times during this "Best Of" compilation.

It is also telling that when I think of Benny Hill, nothing really comes to mind other than THAT music and the speeded up saucy chase sequences. Typically this show has a few such sequences and they are basic and as unfunny as I remember them to be – showing little in the way of unique touch or imagination. However there are a few moments where Hill does show imagination that does go beyond saucy postcard antics and show a genuine creative touch – many of these are actually quite funny and almost made the film worth watching. Overall though many viewers will find this to be mostly badly dated seaside postcard humour although enough of the humour works for non-fans to enjoy, although for my money Benny Hill doesn't really stand out among the crowd of comedians who influenced me as I was growing up.

It is difficult to realise that this compilation was actually made for showing in cinemas. They were that desperate.

I remember his shows on the BBC which I thought were far superior to those he made for Themes.

Some of the sketches in this compilation were funny such as the parody of a thirties film,were the print lost parts of the film through splices.

However he always seemed to revert back to unfunny speeded up sketches and woman in their underwear.

So it is not difficult to understand why he eventually got the boot from television. His comedy had become repetative,unfunny and of course in pc. He just could not adapt to the times.

In 1974,Benny Hill,the Crowned King of British Comedy heard that one of his comic allies had peiced together all of their best stuff to run in theaters.Not to be outdone,Benny did the same thing and was a big success.Having conquered stage and the small screen,it was inevitable that his success would spread to movies.The Best Of Benny Hill contains much of his trademark humor from making men look like idiots to his sophisticated lectures mangling and contorting the English language.Anyone who can call Benny dirty old man hasn't seen him do an Irish accent and completely befuddle and confuse Henry McGee, the straightman's straightman.He's on this tape too along with Bob Todd, little Jackie Wright and all of the beautiful Hill's Angels.This tape is a must for pure die-hard Benny Hill fans !