Vote for Huggett

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.

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.

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!).

In this last of the Huggett Family series, Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison have returned to the United Kingdom after their African sojourn in their previous film where oldest daughter Dinah Sheridan and her husband Jimmy Hanley went to South Africa for his new job. The Huggetts now with only two daughters at home Susan Shaw and Petula Clark are facing new challenges as Jack Warner decides to go into politics.

It all starts quite innocently enough when Warner writes a letter to the editor proposing that a bit of land be used to provide some kind of recreation park for use of people at all stages of life. Unbeknownst to him the missus owns a section of that land with her cousin Diana Dors and her husband and they see a chance for a quick killing.

If you think this sounds a bit familiar I think that someone saw Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and rewrote it a bit for the Huggett family. So when Huggett stands for the local community council against David Tomlinson it all blows up into a scandal. Like Jimmy Stewart who is being used by some unscrupulous men, Warner gets out of it with the help of friends and family.

Things wouldn't be complete without a song from Petula Clark who in those years was the UK's answer to Deanna Durbin.

The Huggetts ended their saga on a good note.

Corruption in local authorities was rife at the time this film was made.Made easier by unelected Aldermen and unopposed coucillors.So this film accurately reflects the situation.This may be the last of the Hugget films but it continued on BBC radio for 8 years and 168 episodes