Trois Adam au paradis

Very funny and inventive tale about three guys marooned on a desert island with snooty Joan Collins. Terrific characterization - the jerk, the dithering old man and the cheeky know-it-all sailor. Kenneth More at his cheerful best as the sailor, veteran Robertson Hare at his scatterbrained finest and George Cole at his most obnoxious. And then there's Joan Collins. Still learning how to act but who cares when she spends ninety percent of the movie in a bikini? The object of lust from all angles and no wonder. When one looks at the sorry state of so many of today's comedies it's a delight to look back on this one and get more than a few laughs from genuine characters and situations. A nice addition for the collection.

Not even Joan Collins in her beachwear on a desert island can rescue this awful film! Kenneth More's crude attempt at playing a relentlessly cheerful, bucolic Irishmen is disastrous! His Dublin accent is embarrassingly poor, and his constant stupid chuckling and grinning makes him a one dimensional stereotypical character! George Cole, playing a reporter, seems totally lost in this film and merely comes across as a dim witted, lifeless character whose monotone voice reminds me of the very worst of amateur dramatics. He was never photogenic and with his limp voice, it beggars belief that Collins could be attracted to such a super dull character, even on a desert island! Robertson Hare plays the stereotypical, eccentric, stuffy Englishman, who shows little emotion but merely recites his lines without any conviction. As a comedy it falls flat on its face! Collins at least tries to make an effort, but the three male companions on the film are so wooden, that she wasted her time making this film. Not only is the acting mediocre but the dialogue is very poor! Definitely a film to miss!

In many ways, "Our Girl Friday" ("The Adventures of Sadie") reminds me of Lina Wertmüller's "Swept Away", except that "Swept Away" is a very good movie. "Swept Away" has great social commentary and the nastiness of the leading lady makes sense. But this British film, unfortunately, just misses the mark even if it has a very similar vibe.

The story begins on a cruise ship. Most everyone seems to be having a good time except for Sadie. What's Sadie's problem? She's a haughty, spoiled, miserable sort of person. A bit later, the boat hits something and several folks are swept away in a lifeboat...Sadie and three men...one of which already hates her and the other two who just haven't yet had a chance to know her!

Eventually, they wash up on an island and most of the time, Sadie complains and is quite bossy. There is some sexual tension...but ultimately Sadie's personality is the best form of contraception on this island. What's next? See the film...or not.

In addition to Sadie being too unpleasant to make the film fun, the film has an ending which just doesn't make much sense. Overall, a film with an excellent setup but which doesn't quite hit the mark. I think making Sadie a bit less nasty would have helped and the ending...well...it's pretty bad.

Shot on Mallorca (as the credits spell it), the first British feature in Eastmancolor (the process isn't credited on the film, which instead bears the unusual credit "Colour Photography by Wilkie Cooper") as well as being one of the first films in which the leading lady wore a bikini (which she is supposed to have made herself) must have been a tonic to weary audiences suffering through early fifties Britain.

Parts of it resemble 'Age of Consent', also based on a novel by Norman Lindsay (both of which were banned in their native Australia); but Joan Collins is no Helen Mirren and in other ways it again finds itself in the shadow of other, better films. The squabbling that breaks out over Miss Collins rather resembles Sternberg's little-seen 'Saga of Anatahan'; while Kenneth More gives one his worst performances as a drunken Irishman and was much better as 'The Admirable Crichton' a few years later.

The supposedly sophisticated banter is constantly undermined by an awful score by Ronald Binge; although even that acquires resonance in retrospect, since five years later he reworked parts of it as 'The Watermill'.

I'm not quite sure what film some of the reviewers were watching when they heaped their venom upon this unassuming and cute little comedy,but it wasn't OUR GIRL Friday (aka ADVENTURES OF SADIE). Perhaps they were watching one of the several dreadful video versions available, or one of the severely cut versions. But if they had seen a nice, clear and complete version of this film I feel certain they would find in it, as I did, a pleasant diversion.

Lovely photography of Majorca (a clear video copy required to appreciate this!) coupled with some fun acting by all concerned make this an amusing story of men shipwrecked with the beautiful Joan Collins. Good humor situations and good dialog abound.

I'd term this a good snack/popcorn movie. Find that good, clear copy (rumor has it that, at long last, a decent DVD of it is about to be released) sit down on the sofa with your spouse and enjoy yourself. I can't think of a higher recommendation than that.