Vote for Huggett

Property contracts were seemingly as central to the political process seventy years ago as they are today according to this mildly Capraesque entry in the Huggetts series in which a piece of land worth £300 (which eventually reaches the astronomical sum of £750!) is the prime mover behind local government political machinations in the fictional municipal borough of Strutham.

Fortunately, the producers realised that the whole "Huggett" concept had run it's course, and so before they got just a bit too silly, retired the family with this rather fun poke at the British local government system. This time, it's "Ma" (Kathleen Harrison) who finds that a plot of land she, and cousin "Diana" (Diana Dors) inherited by the riverside is required by the council to build a leisure centre. Reluctant to sell, she soon discovers that the proponent of this plan is none-other than her husband (Jack Warner) who made the proposal blissfully unaware that his own family owned the land... When he decides to stand for office to facilitate the development, there are allegations of profiteering being bandied about and he has to think on his feet. It's light-hearted fun, this film - it swipes at the inefficiencies and red tape that always seems to manage to thwart even the most consensually popular of projects, and with a fittingly concluding number from daughter "Pet" (Petula Clark) the series signs off as it ran - amusingly, amiably and with most of it's self respect still intact.

Joe Huggett (Jack Warner) writes to the local paper with a proposal for a new lido in a public space. Leisure facilities are much needed in post war London.

Only shady councillor Mr Hall is not keen on the idea. He has alternative plans for that area.

Some locals urge Joe to run for the council himself. Then he will be in the best position to push the plans through.

Councillor Hall is aghast at this. Even sending his wife to Mrs Huggett that she will be expected to do public speaking as a councillor's spouse. Thus persuade her husband not to stand for elections.

Then there is the matter of a piece of land that Mrs Huggett owns with another relative who wants to sell the land. Mrs Hubbard is against it and it plays straight into the plans for the leisure facilities.

As a gentle satire this does not hold up to close scrutiny. It is meant to be mocking post war social and class distinctions. Councillor Hall thinks he is born to rule. Being a politician is not for the little people.

Joe's daughter Susan works for a snobbish and unscrupulous boss who has designs on her. Even though he is married and she has a boyfriend.

What really lets the film down are the stereotypes of the women. Seen to be rather dim or greedy. It ends with Joe telling his wife. 'There are two things that I cannot bear in this world: beautiful women and intelligent women. You are neither beautiful nor intelligent.'

It was said without irony or any other kind of humour.

Just saw this on the UK's Talking Pictures channel, which has films, TV shows, and a few 'information shorts films' from back in the day.

This was one of 4 Huggetts films, but the family had a long radio run too, amongst national favourites (there was little TV then, and not many folk had a set!) like Life With The Lyons, Goons, Take It From Here, Navy Lark, and possibly the greatest, Wilfred Pickles (+ wife) in Have A Go, which could draw an audience of 20million.

Other reviews have mentioned the plot, in which Huggett (Jack Warner) stands for election to the local council, and the efforts of his children to help him combat local skullduggery, with his wife (the always wonderful Kathleen Harrison) not quite so sure it's a good idea.

Staunch help from a typical British supporting cast, the plot is nicely worked out, and it's a nice nostalgic trip to the late 40s, though I could have done without child star Petula Clark and her obligatory song!

Sure, it was done on the cheap (most films here had to be, back then), but it was done with warmth & skill, and I enjoyed spotting a few of the locations in south-west London (one pub, on the road to the M3, a little way out from Twickenham, had barely a car for miles in the relevant scene!).

This was Huggetts film 3/4, all were solidly entertaining fun family fare. They're also fascinating in depicting a long dead world – you find yourself continually wondering what everyone involved would have thought about modern cosmopolitan Britain and how much or little they would have enjoyed it. Did people really prefer plaice to cod?

Sentimental old codger Dad Huggett has the bright idea (pre-Passport to Pimlico) of getting the local council to build a lido and park for the community to disport itself in. Unfortunately various posh vested interests weigh in, one side eventually persuading him to run as a councillor, the other side running a smear campaign. The family members little stories all dovetail nicely in what is a surprisingly complicated plot for this kind of film, but needless to write, Good wins out in the end! This role was just meat to Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison uttered some splendid malapropisms, Pet Clark sung a nice old song, Hubert Gregg played a sex-starved married man, and it's refreshing to see Diana Dors pre-sex bomb. Dad's seriously endearing comment to Ma "I can't abide pretty or clever women an' you're neither" to her delight still resonates all these years later.

Well worth watching to those of us who enjoy watching cheaply made British post-War b&w musical comedy semi soap operas.