Aggiungi una trama nella tua linguaAlbert Steptoe and his son Harold are junk dealers. Harold meets a stripper, marries her and takes her home. Albert, of course, is furious and tries every trick he knows to drive the new bri... Leggi tuttoAlbert Steptoe and his son Harold are junk dealers. Harold meets a stripper, marries her and takes her home. Albert, of course, is furious and tries every trick he knows to drive the new bride from his household.Albert Steptoe and his son Harold are junk dealers. Harold meets a stripper, marries her and takes her home. Albert, of course, is furious and tries every trick he knows to drive the new bride from his household.
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- Sceneggiatura
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- 1 vittoria in totale
- Arthur
- (as Perri St. Claire)
- Hotel Manager
- (as Michael da Costa)
Recensioni in evidenza
When you watch the first film you might wonder how on earth this is classed as a comedy because it is very dark. It does have its funny moments but overall it is quite emotionally draining as we're witness to Harold's life falling apart aided by his father's pretty horrible cruelty and mental torture. Besides YES releasing CLOSE TO THE EDGE, 1972 was not a happy year for the UK and this film gives us a voyeuristic insight into how depressing things were back then for the majority of people. Although it's heavy going at times and you're more likely to cry than laugh, it is enjoyable and satisfying. What makes this extra special is Carolyn Seymour as the girl who captures Harold's heart. She plays a stripper in a seedy club and as someone who takes her clothes off for a living she is of course very attractive but because she's such a great actress, she's also instantly likeable even though she's actually not that nice. Her character is just so real so much so that you can perhaps empathise with her most of all.
As a result of the negative backlash against the first film, the next one, in my opinion went too far the other way. Although maintaining the spirit of the original show this one decides to be a comedy and indeed it is a very funny comedy. If you're a Steptoe fan then this will make you laugh but maybe because I'm a miserable old git, I prefer the first one.
However, this is a film that feels very different to the good-natured and light-hearted TV show. There's a cold, almost ruthless streak of pessimism in the production that makes this feel more like a tragedy than a comedy. In some ways it feels like an episode drawn out to feature length and the single-strand plot makes some elements of the production feel drawn out and repetitive.
In essence the tale is about Corbett falling for a stripper and deciding to marry her, only for the needy Brambell to get in the way. Carolyn Seymour successfully portrays the awkwardness felt at coming between this pairing. There's little more to it than that, but at times this film feels like a depiction of psychological and emotional torture, with Brambell turning the thumb screws at every opportunity. It's testament to the skill of the two stars that this remains a likable comedy despite the darkness of the script. Inevitably, the grimy surroundings are better realised than ever on film as opposed to television, and the envelope is pushed further than ever with nudity and bad language in the mix.
It doesn't give too much away to say that the film revolves around Harold finally marrying and then his father ensuring that things do not work out. Albert thwarted many of his son's romances and other plans for happiness in the TV show. In this film version though what happens almost seems depressing, even cruel. It's hard to explain why. The TV series did a great job of injecting serious and reflective moments and even pathos alongside the comedy but here it becomes overpowering, maybe more of a comedy-drama rather than comedy with dramatic touches. Perhaps because of the longer running time the snatching away of Harold's hopes just becomes too drawn out. Or maybe it's because in the TV series he never reached this prospect of happiness, of actually having a wife and a chance of a normal life. Maybe it's also the fact that Harold's girlfriend and later wife Zita is a genuinely appealing and sympathetic figure that makes the final outcome harder to take. If Zita had been selfish, manipulative and generally unpleasant (but maybe Harold unable to see it) Albert's interventions would have been more palatable.
The 90 minute film is generally too much of a stretch even for an excellent sitcom and so we do see even some very funny scenarios drawn out too much for their own good and maybe one or two elements added to pad out the running time which would have been better omitted.
It's certainly interesting to see the studio-bound TV format translated to the much more expansive medium of film and this is done well so we avoid seeing the Steptoe home looking entirely different to its TV origins as sometimes occurred with sitcoms translated to the big screen. The character of Albert does have his crudity and contempt for basic hygiene pushed a little too far, maybe making him even more dislikeable than was necessary. It's worth pointing out that at times Albert does show he genuinely cares for his son and his predicament and that was a welcome feature and true to the series. In essence Albert is a conflicted man who does care for his son but is so desperate not to be alone that he cannot let him go, no matter the cost to his happiness.
All the performances are fine and there is certainly still a lot to be commended here. There are some brilliantly funny moments that stick long in the memory, most notably Albert and a packet of Flash! However overall this seemed like a missed opportunity. The later film "Steptoe and Son Ride Again" is more plainly comedic and a better adaptation of the show for the cinema but the ultimate versions will always be the TV episodes.
The first film is a lot like the television series, a mixture of melodrama and comedy. A tad uneven in some places but it's very enjoyable. The second film is more of a farcical comedy and it's more accessible to non-fans of this brilliant television series.
Highly recommended for fans of the t.v. series and for people who want to take a peek at the original "Sanford and Son".
Lo sapevi?
- QuizTo receive an 'A' (PG) cinema certificate some brief nudity was removed from the striptease scene. DVD releases are fully uncut.
- BlooperThe horse faeces that Harold picks up and puts in the bucket at the beginning of the film are clearly little potatoes painted brown.
- Citazioni
Harold Kitchener Steptoe: [To Albert] You're worse than a fly 'round a cow's arsehole.
- Curiosità sui creditiAt the start of the film, the camera zooms out from a parking meter and shows the lettering "Steptoe & Son" on the side of the cart parked in front, with "Ray Galton & Alan Simpson's" above the cart as normal captions & Copyright information below the cart.
- ConnessioniFeatured in Comedy Classics: Porridge (2022)
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Dettagli
- Data di uscita
- Paese di origine
- Lingua
- Celebre anche come
- Steptoe & Son
- Luoghi delle riprese
- Trellick Tower, 7 Golborne Road, Londra, Inghilterra, Regno Unito(Harold approaches a tower block)
- Azienda produttrice
- Vedi altri crediti dell’azienda su IMDbPro
- Tempo di esecuzione1 ora 38 minuti
- Mix di suoni
- Proporzioni
- 1.85 : 1