Up Pompeii

Howard has the knack of knowing when to give the audience the eye, with a just perfect leer. This film is one that shows you that it is possible to break the 4th wall to include the audience in the scene. A movie any teenage boy would love and should be viewed by all the staff at "MAXIM". When the film was first shown on TV here in North America it was a little scandalous. The English were not as prudish and had more fun that way.

Frankie Howerd is a genius. This wonderful film is an unrealistic story of what might have happened in AD 79. A slave, Lurcio, accidentally picks up a scroll naming conspirators, and much British fun follows. This film has little storyline, and is not particularly funny, but it is worth watching for the theme song and Lance Percival's Roman General.

Poor Frankie didn't have a lot of luck in the world of film - making a string of Norman Wisdom type of comedies in the 50's, two Carry Ons in the sixties, and then this, the first of a trilogy of "Up..." films. This is probably his best starring vehicle. Scripted by Dave Freeman, Sid Colin and Talbot Rothwell, this, at least fairs better than the average sitcom-to-film venture; for this doesn't rely on the string of half-hour stories lifted from the television show to support the 90 mins. The reason is simple, all the writers were already experienced with writing films. All that has been lifted from the show is the majority of double entendre groan-worthy gags which, thankfully, when performed by Howerd, still raise a titter. With fine support from Patrick Cargill, Michael Hordern, Bernard Bresslaw, Hugh Paddick, Julie Ege etc. this is bound to make you laugh... even if it's just a bit.

Depending on whether you like 70's britcom, you will either love this or hate it. For me it epitomizes a simpler era - one where sexist humor was acceptable and not everything had to be so PC. The thing it is most like is a series from the same era - the name escapes me but it had a black and white couple living next to each other with the men making snide racist comments across the garden fence, but respecting each other underneath, while the wives sat in the kitchen bitching about men over a cup of tea.

Frankie Howerd is, well, Frankie Howerd. He brings the audience right into the film acting as both lead actor and narrator. It is full of his classic one line wit which has never been emulated by anyone (some may say this is good thing, but not me; Nay, Nay and thrice Nay!). The sets were clearly done on a budget, and if you like whiz-bang special effects then forget it. This was clearly a Frankie Production.

So (in the words of jib-jab) if you are a left wing weenie, forget this film, but if you are a stupid dumb ass (like me), take a look.

Spin off from the 70's sitcom of the same name this film spins out the same gags over an hour and twenty minutes run time and gets away with it but only just. Frankie Howerd is again Lurcio the roman slave in ancient Pompeii getting involved in the evil machinations of the emperor Nero (Patrick Cargill) and the evil Brutus and his henchmen (Lance Percival).

If you liked the TV series you'll like this is the basic rule here, to a modern audience I doubt it would play well, Frankie Howerds routine is very much of it's time and place. But its very entertaining some of the gags are sign posted miles away but Frankie's personality, playing to the audience and comic timing are what make this entertaining.

The movie feels too much like a stretched out episode to be a classic like many TV shows spun off into movies in the 70's (On the Buses, Rising Damp, Porridge etc.) but its certainly worth a look for Up Pompei or Frankie Howerd fans.

Mostly funny, occasionally hilarious 7/10