Love Thy Neighbour

Another Hammer film adaptation of a popular TV show, this time around the controversial race comedy LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR. I've never watched the TV series so I can't comment on that, but this is about what you'd expect from the early 1970s. I was pleased to see that the racist protagonist is the butt of the joke but even so the endless playground insults and racist taunts become quickly wearying. A shame, as the union storyline is promising and some of the acting pretty decent, particularly Rudolph Walker in what must have been a difficult role. The opening sequence, a sort of running street riot between white and black neighbours, is quite startling.

What a wonderful gem to find, in 2019. I grew up with the TV series but, never knew there was a follow up movie.

When the series came out I was a tot at 10 years of age however, I could already understand the satire this series depicted, along with "Till Death Do Us Part". Both perfectly depicted life as it was at the time in England.

I could see exactly what the writers were putting up to society, and the cast were the perfect idiom to do so, they were so well matched. They were trying to break down long held barriers between races. To an extent, it worked, it's not there yet.

Jack Smethurst and Kate Williams were already established actors. Rudolph Walker and Nina Baden-Semper were relative newcomers. However, the blend of both, even in the 70's, worked.

The male actors played off each other brilliantly, the female actors played off ecah other because women meet together better tham men do. And that was part of why the series and movie worked, not just because of "colour".

To see faces I hadn't seen in over 40 years, was a joy to behold. To be reminded of the comedy I grew up with, is indescribable, especially in this age of political correctness. This movie was completely incorrect, as it was meant to be (in an age before "correctness".

The multiple storylines that evolved from a simple premise, worked; especially the unexpected love match arriving from an early flight from Trinadad. I won't elaborate, I'll leave that up to the viewer. THAT pulled the movie together, and made it the prefect ending to the TV series, exactly what it all meant in the first place.

Only those of "my" age would know that, Jack Smethurst and Rudolph Walker were actually best of friends. I was one of the lucky ones, who saw Jack being "ambushed" for "This Is Your Life", on his way to dinner, with his wife; and sitting beside him in the car was, Rudolf and HIS wife. For the younger generation, Rudolf Walker, OBE, plays Patrick Trueman in "Eastenders" on BBC TV.

Love Thy Neighbour is the film based on the British TV sitcom of the same name. The film came out in 1973 and is about two couples, one black, one white who are neighbours on the same street in London and is about both the mens attempts at one-upmanship based on their mutual dislike of each others races. Its a piece of cinematic history from a decade before pc and its not a racist film per see as the biggest bigot is the white man and usually comes off worst in both this film and the TV series it is based on. I doubt very much that today's younger audiences will fund it acceptable, let alone funny due to its subject matter and script but for those of a certain age it can be very funny in a very British early 70s way and well worth a watch as both a comedy and as a study of how Britain used to be 50 years ago.

Good comedy of a popular television series that ran in England in the 1970's. a Somewhat controversial in its day,kept the British viewers glued to their television sets. This popular series is now available on DVD in the United Kingdom. Individuals who have region-free DVD players can order these DVD episodes from the video on-line shops in the U.K. People whishing to watch clean violent free entertainment will probably enjoy these DVD episodes. Video tapes of Love thy neighbour are also available. Jack Smethurst,Rudolph Walker,Nina Baden-Semper,and Kate Williams are the main actors in this series. Rudolph Walker appeared in the popular series,The blue thin line about 25 years later. He has also appeared in several episodes of the popular British police series,The Bill. After this series began in England,the U.S.A.and Australia produced their own versions. After a few episodes in the U.S.A. the series was cancelled. The Australia version was quite popular in Australia.

It shows the state of race relations in 1973 that a tv series could have been produced followed by this film. It is a total embarassment about which the film industry should be totally ashamed.

It is no good saying that Jack smethurst's character always comes out second best,his character has to speak such offensive insults that it isdifficult to watch this and bear in mind that the film is supposed to be a ccomedy.

I never watched the tv series,but all i can ask myself is whether people actually watched this film and laughed.

It is unfortunate that racism was still endemic in the entertainment industry. You have the likes of Alec Guiness using dark make up to portray an Indian in A Passage To India.