Vote for Huggett

Corruption in local authorities was rife at the time this film was made.Made easier by unelected Aldermen and unopposed coucillors.So this film accurately reflects the situation.This may be the last of the Hugget films but it continued on BBC radio for 8 years and 168 episodes

This was Huggetts film 3/4, all were solidly entertaining fun family fare. They're also fascinating in depicting a long dead world – you find yourself continually wondering what everyone involved would have thought about modern cosmopolitan Britain and how much or little they would have enjoyed it. Did people really prefer plaice to cod?

Sentimental old codger Dad Huggett has the bright idea (pre-Passport to Pimlico) of getting the local council to build a lido and park for the community to disport itself in. Unfortunately various posh vested interests weigh in, one side eventually persuading him to run as a councillor, the other side running a smear campaign. The family members little stories all dovetail nicely in what is a surprisingly complicated plot for this kind of film, but needless to write, Good wins out in the end! This role was just meat to Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison uttered some splendid malapropisms, Pet Clark sung a nice old song, Hubert Gregg played a sex-starved married man, and it's refreshing to see Diana Dors pre-sex bomb. Dad's seriously endearing comment to Ma "I can't abide pretty or clever women an' you're neither" to her delight still resonates all these years later.

Well worth watching to those of us who enjoy watching cheaply made British post-War b&w musical comedy semi soap operas.

Property contracts were seemingly as central to the political process seventy years ago as they are today according to this mildly Capraesque entry in the Huggetts series in which a piece of land worth £300 (which eventually reaches the astronomical sum of £750!) is the prime mover behind local government political machinations in the fictional municipal borough of Strutham.

Fortunately, the producers realised that the whole "Huggett" concept had run it's course, and so before they got just a bit too silly, retired the family with this rather fun poke at the British local government system. This time, it's "Ma" (Kathleen Harrison) who finds that a plot of land she, and cousin "Diana" (Diana Dors) inherited by the riverside is required by the council to build a leisure centre. Reluctant to sell, she soon discovers that the proponent of this plan is none-other than her husband (Jack Warner) who made the proposal blissfully unaware that his own family owned the land... When he decides to stand for office to facilitate the development, there are allegations of profiteering being bandied about and he has to think on his feet. It's light-hearted fun, this film - it swipes at the inefficiencies and red tape that always seems to manage to thwart even the most consensually popular of projects, and with a fittingly concluding number from daughter "Pet" (Petula Clark) the series signs off as it ran - amusingly, amiably and with most of it's self respect still intact.

Joe Huggett (Jack Warner) writes to the local paper with a proposal for a new lido in a public space. Leisure facilities are much needed in post war London.

Only shady councillor Mr Hall is not keen on the idea. He has alternative plans for that area.

Some locals urge Joe to run for the council himself. Then he will be in the best position to push the plans through.

Councillor Hall is aghast at this. Even sending his wife to Mrs Huggett that she will be expected to do public speaking as a councillor's spouse. Thus persuade her husband not to stand for elections.

Then there is the matter of a piece of land that Mrs Huggett owns with another relative who wants to sell the land. Mrs Hubbard is against it and it plays straight into the plans for the leisure facilities.

As a gentle satire this does not hold up to close scrutiny. It is meant to be mocking post war social and class distinctions. Councillor Hall thinks he is born to rule. Being a politician is not for the little people.

Joe's daughter Susan works for a snobbish and unscrupulous boss who has designs on her. Even though he is married and she has a boyfriend.

What really lets the film down are the stereotypes of the women. Seen to be rather dim or greedy. It ends with Joe telling his wife. 'There are two things that I cannot bear in this world: beautiful women and intelligent women. You are neither beautiful nor intelligent.'

It was said without irony or any other kind of humour.