Porterhouse Blue

Tom Sharpe's satirical novel has translated well on television thanks to Malcolm Bradbury's stinging adaptation tipped with acid laced hilarity.

Porterhouse College, one of the cash strapped schools at Cambridge University is steeped in tradition and archaic values which is due to be ripped apart by its new liberal Master Sir Godber Evans (Ian Richardson) spurred on by his activist wife. The college sells places, sells degrees and stuck in the middle ages where they feast on swans and ox in grand dinners.

The new Master aims to put an end to all this, make the college a meritocracy and bring it to the 20th century to the horror of the fellow senior tutors of the college who want their ancien regime traditions to continue.

The biggest challenge Sir Godber faces is from Skullion (David Jason) the head porter of Porterhouse who knows all the secrets of the college, the past students and masters. A dim working class man who places great value in the tradition of the college that churns out proper gentlemen.

Porterhouse Blue is biting satire with slapstick and a punch in the gut ending if you are of a progressive type. It is silly, it is fun and wonderful entertainment.

I saw this on TV when it was first broadcast and loved how well written it was, how skillfully acted, entertaining and very funny. It's bawdy in parts. Writer Tom Sharpe's humour is earthy and can be savage in satirising characters, institutions and authorities. The best acting, in my opinion, is by David Jason as the Porter (so different from his character in "Only Fools and Horses") and John Sessions as the student Zipser.

Whatever mixed feelings this rabulistic exposure of the proudest university traditions of England may inspire you with, this is hilarious comedy all the way. The "Porterhouse" college is actually modelled on the oldest college of Cambridge, Peterhouse, founded in 1280 by Henry I, and although the film makes no claims to any connection, it just cannot be ignored as too self-evident, one of the wealthiest colleges of Cambridge with prouder and more ancient traditions than almost any other. "Porterhouse Blue" is the denomination of a mishap that happens to many leading masters and prominent coryphaei of the college which simply is apoplexy brought on by over-eating. It happens here from the start to the Master of the college, who dies without having appointed a successor, so a successor is appointed by the government. It is Ian Richardson who is liberally modern and intends to carry out revolutionary reforms in the college, introducing female students, contraceptives and all kinds of revolting modernisms, resulting in the necessity of giving the oldest servant of the college, Jason King, the sack, which imports consequences, as he is the only one who can save the financial situation of the college which is on the verge of ruin. It's not a mean satire, it is actually made with great love and affection for anachronistic traditions, and in spite of its exaggerations it is well worth enjoying all the way through to the very bitter and paradoxical but nevertheless quite logical end.

Tom Sharpe has to be one of the funniest writers in human history, and in my younger days I remember my joy every time a new books came out.

But some works are so rooted in their medium that attempted transplants are essentially impossible, and so it is here.

The screenplay does what it can, and yes, we get the outlines of the story. There are even a few funny scenes. But there's none of the magic, and there's none of gut busting absurdity that hurts your lungs one page after the next, just a somewhat mediocre story. No-one to blame and, hell, valiant effort, but some things just aren't meant to be.

Brilliant, just brilliant satire of Oxbridge traditions, set here in a Cambridge college famous for not caring about scholastic achievement to the point of the porter having arranged for poor but brilliant students to take the exams for prominent sons.

Along the way we're treated to a randy middle aged lady servant who keeps trying to seduce the student whom she serves, elderly dons who constantly encourage sex without really realizing it (maybe), Elizabethan-style feasts replete with stuffed swans, whole ox etc to the point of inducing strokes in the college masters, hence Porterhouse "blue." Ian Richardson plays the most recent master brought in to replace the recently deceased and he's brought to heel by his wealthy wife who conveniently provided him with a title. But as a reformer, she wants Porterhouse made coeducational + with prophylactics in machines throughout the college (hey, it's set in the 80's). Not one character is let off the satirical hook, including the presumed lower man on the totem pole, the loyal porter.

If you're of a certain age (even American like me) you'll likely recognize most of the players and laugh your head off. Best four hours I've spent in a long time.