Farce doesn't film well. There's are very few exceptions to that axiom (Peter Bogdanovich's "Noises Off" (1992) is one of them.) What can be hilarious on the stage often falls totally flat on the big screen. The sheer physicality of madcap farce gets lost as does the frenetic excitement inherent to the genre. Even the classic Feydeau farces "A Flea in Her Ear" (1968) and "Hotel Parasdiso" (1966) failed to deliver the goods, despite their star casts.
Farce became a mainstay of the British theatre where for decades there was hardly a time when some farce wasn't pulling in the crowds in the West End. Noted farceur Ray Cooney enjoyed particular success with a string of hit plays which were performed all over the world and have become staple fare for amateur dramatic societies.
It's seems only natural that a stage success should be put onto the big screen. "No Sex Please We're British" (1973), "Not Now Comrade" (1976) and "Don't Just Lie There Say Something" (1974) were all lame affairs and Cooney's "Run for Your Wife" (2012) bombed.
In the light of that preamble, 1973's "Not Now Darling" is something of a miracle. One of the reason's for the success of the movie is that it is in fact not really a movie at all, but rather a filmed stage play. The wise decision was made not to open it out, something screen adaptions felt obliged to do in an attempt to avoid staginess. Opening out a farce drops the pace which can be ruinous. "Not Now Darling" remains a rare record of British farce at its best.
Cooney was at the top of his game, penning smart and funny dialog delivered here by some true pros, all, or almost all, with vast stage experience, and all exhibiting spot-on timing, First and foremost is the great Leslie Philips, doing pretty much what he always did: the charming cad. He is partnered by Ray Cooney himself, in a hilarious turn. They are wonderfully supported by Carry On stalwarts Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor, together with seasoned stage performers Moira Lister, Bill Fraser and Derren Nesbitt. Rounding out the top-notch cast are the husband-and-wife veteran stage and screen stars Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge (her last screen performance) who are a joy to behold.
And then there's former beauty queen Julie Ege. No self-respecting sixties farce was without one or more sexy ladies who did little besides show off their bodies. Unlike her co-stars, Ege had no stage experience at all and after a brief and very minor screen career, returned to her native Norway and became a nurse. She had previously been signed to Hammer films who hoped "Creatures the World Forgot" would shoot her to international stardom as their "One Million Years B. C." had done for Raquel Welch. It was not to be. Ege's finest hour on screen is without doubt her appearance in "Not Now Darling". She is stunning to look at and turns in a very competent and funny performance and seems to be enjoying every minute.
Farce isn't for all tastes. While considered a lowbrow genre, done well it clearly demands dramatic skill, impeccable timing, physicality and great teamwork. "Not Now Darling" has all of those and shouldn't be missed by fans of the genre.
