Bless This House (1972) Reviews

• The Taming of the Sid

  Oct2004-09-27

  Ostensibly "Bless This House" is a cinema spin-off from a hit television sitcom, and a rapid one at that. But it can also be treated as a continuation of the "Carry On" film series, by far the most successful comedies in British screen history. That cycle, already over 20 years old, was near exhaustion: too many of its repertory company were looking and feeling their years to remain funny in saucily physical capers. "Bless This House" guides them into middle aged domesticity without forfeiting all the "Carry On" spirit of mischief and misrule. Behind the camera, the producer, director and composer were "Carry On" veterans too, though screenplay duties passed from the incomparably lewd Talbot Rothwell to Dave Freeman. The TV concept is intact: Sid James, too long in the tooth to chase girls, is now a modestly prosperous semi-detached suburban salesman. His taste for football and booze is constrained by his duties to a wife who wants more independence, a disheveled art student son and a naive schoolgirl daughter. The arrival of a stuffy next-door neighbour gives Sid more headaches, but after mild pratfalls and back chat, all ends well at the altar. "Animal House" it isn't. James, now pipe smoking and cardigan, retains the most suggestive laugh on screen. Diana Coupland, a band singer turned actress, is a nicely supportive, sometimes indignant foil. As the simian son, Robin Askwith gives his buttocks less of a rhythmical workout than in the contemporary "Confessions" films. Sally Geeson, sister of Judy, squeaks and flaps as the idealistic daughter. A ripe selection of character comedians surrounds the family, led by Terry Scott and June Whitfield as the new neighbors. They almost make the production a spin-off of their long-running marital sitcom as well, albeit Scott's film character is more pompous. Allusions to hippiedom, Women's Lib and ecological doom-mongering (Geeson devours an Ehrlich-like tract called "Mankind is Doomed" and leads the Junior Anti-Pollution League) place the film firmly in the glamrock Seventies, but its core is pretty timeless domestic humour. Sid looks weary and too much under the cosh of domesticity at times, but his timing and delivery are crisp as ever. The move from TV allows more expansive slapstick and quicker storytelling; the spirit of the original, which ran till James's death four years later, is preserved. Like the "Carry Ons", these sitcom spin-offs were critically derided when released. They look far better now. "Porridge" and "Dad's Army" are the cream; as on television, "Bless This House" is not in their league, but it remains a mildly funny and endearing time killer 30 years on, like "On the Buses" and "For the Love of Ada". It seemed this domestic kind of sitcom had been banished for ever by the pseudo-sophisticates and neophilias who run British television, but the success of BBC1's "My Family" (created by an American abroad) echoes the Abbotts in their tree-lined ITV avenue.

• Fresh from the golden age of British Sitcoms

  drummie1999-03-24

  The British TV Sitcoms of the seventies almost all had one thing in common: an inability to forecast changes in fashion and youth culture, and an instantly dated quality that created instant classics. Advice to all non-British surfers - catch this movie, it will give a better insight into life in the UK in the seventies than any more reputable source. Along with On The Buses, Porrige, and others, this movie stands out for great performances by Sid James (catch any Carry On.... movie he's in) , Diana Coupland, Sally Geeson and Robin Askwith as the disfunctional family that started it all!

• Get The Abbott Habit!

  ShadeGrenade2006-09-15

  'Bless This House', created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, was launched in 1971 and quickly established itself as one of I.T.V.'s biggest-ever sitcom successes. A year later, a spin-off feature film hit cinemas, following the route taken by 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'On The Buses'. With Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas in charge, it was bound to wind up looking like a 'Carry On', and did. The first and most sensible thing they did was replace boring Robin Stewart with cheeky Robin Askwith as Sid's son 'Mike'. Secondly, they brought in Peter Butterworth to play Sid's friend and next-door neighbour 'Trevor Lewis'. While I liked Anthony Jackson's 'Trevor', Butterworth and Sid are a far more natural comedy team. Thirdly, they had Terry Scott and June Whitfield as the Abbott's new neighbours, 'Ronald' and 'Vera Baines'. Scott's character is not the lovable 'Terry' of 'Happy Ever After/Terry & June', but a pompous snob. These changes benefited the movie enormously, though I wish the Geoff Love theme tune had been retained. Eric Rogers provided the new music. Dave Freeman's script lacks a central binding plot, consisting mainly of sub-plots such as Mike bringing home a right banger of a car, Jean and Betty running an old junk stall in a local market, Sid's attempts to make wine in a home-made distillery in his shed, Mike getting a job in a fast-food restaurant ( where he meets and falls in love with 'Kate', played by Carol Hawkins of 'The Fenn Street Gang' ), Sid and Jean attempting to conceal the damage they have made to the Baines' lounge whilst attempting to remove an over-mantle, and Sid and Ronald engaging in open warfare of the 'Love Thy Neighbour' sort. Interesting to hear 'Sally' ( Sally Geeson ) expressing concerns for the environment. We could laugh at her in those days. She was dead right though, wasn't she? And she looks great in a bikini! Some sterling performers in small roles, including George A.Cooper as the owner of the restaurant where Mike works, Bill Maynard as the market owner who has a roving eye, Wendy Richard as a waitress, Johnny Briggs as a lorry driver, Janet Brown ( who was Peter Butterworth's wife ) as their soon-to-leave neighbour, with Julian Orchard as her husband. Funniest moment - Sid and Ronald turning up late at the church for Mike and Kate's wedding in a fire engine! Some reviewers have said the film is a useful time capsule of '70's Britain. It is not - Britain was never this nice a place to live. It hardly matters though. 'House' is a pleasant way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.

• Cheap,low budget,trashy no brainer.I loved it.

  ianlouisiana2009-07-26

  The received wisdom is that movie spin-offs from British TV sitcoms are cheap,trashy,low-budget no-brainers and of course it's absolutely true and that's exactly why we love them."Bless this House" wasn't High Art on TV and certainly hasn't "improved" for the big screen,but by golly it's very funny,surely the raison d'etre for all comedy? That much-missed great artist Mr Sidney James is as comfy as an old slipper in the role of good-natured paterfamilias,there is no one even approaching his brilliance on TV or the movies today.One look of exasperation from that wonderfully expressive face would set whole audiences happily snuggling deep into their seats,waiting for the wry grin and the much-loved laugh that was sure to follow. Miss Diana Coupland,who used to be what was referred to as a "chick" or a "chirper" i.e. a singer with touring Dance Bands in the 1950s plays his tolerant and loving wife,who,as in every sitcom,really wears the trousers. The jokes,new and old,mostly,I must confess,old,come thick and fast,delivered with some style by a cast as to the manner born. Nothing "fringe" or "edgy" about this stuff,no one sat for hours trying to write stuff that would entrance Guardian readers but alienate the 99.999% of the rest of us,but lovingly crafted sketches of suburban life by writers aiming at an audience of people who owned Cortinas and Allegros and smoked over a newspaper at breakfast. Sneer at their naivety at your peril.

• Domestic Chaos 1972 style!!

  palexandersquires2004-12-14

  Those where the days, they say, and Don 't we Know this, as seen in this movie, I quite liked that old Morris Minor open top car Mike said " this car has been to around the world and back" to Kate I ask myself, How did mike pull a stunner like her?? after all, Kate 's Father said, " that boy 's not all there" I also liked the plastering of the walls disaster! I also loved the custard pie flinging bit, after all, that boss started it!! I also liked Sally Abbot and I liked that poor shed, it only lasted for a short time! I would not of drunk that Brandy mind!! I also liked that Panamar Hat being shredded in that Atco Mower!! All and All Good British comedy they do not make them like that anymore!!