The Adventures of Sadie

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'.

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.

Just caught up with this old film on the Talking Pictures TV channel, because of the mixtures of people in it.

I was rather hoping that the combination of Hattie Jacques and George Cole, would make it at least a good film.

I didn't catch the film from the beginning so I have to assume that Hattie Jacques was in that bit. She certainly wasn't in the majority of the movie, and frankly was all the worst for it.

I saw it from the desert island with the characters of Gibble, Carrol, Pat and Sadie, through to the end.

Sadie was the hapless female character played by the incredibly young, and to me scarcely recognisable Joan Collins.

Hapless because her every move was beset by the three gormless male pillocks, two of whom were vying for her affections.

Gibble was played by the old actor Robertson Hare, who I have only seen in a now old TV comedy All Gas and Gaiters. This was on the box from 1966-1971, and he had been around the block a while before then.

For me his portrayal of Gibble was very reminiscent of his characterisation, of the Archdeacon in the TV show.

In all honesty I found George Cole's portrayal of Carroll rather disappointing to say the least, and not in the least memorable.

But altogether the absolute worst was the performance of Kenneth More, this was characterised by his truly atrocious accent.

This was so appallingly bad that I couldn't see past it, to the only really average acting performance.

When I saw the earlier scenes of the movie I thought it resembled another castaway film, The Admirable Crichton. That also features Kenneth Moore which is infinitely preferable, all round and not a sign of a dodgy Irish accent.

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!

Beautiful, wealthy Joan Collins is shipwrecked on a desert island with pompous professor Robertson Hare, Irish stoker Kenneth More, and journalist George Cole. All three men go gaga for Miss Collins and fight among themselves.

It's a purely mechanical comedy with all three men offering various stereotypes, and Miss Collins somehow never dirtying or damaging her one dress. I quickly grew tired of their bickering, and even of Peter Sellers, who is present if not in the flesh, at least in the voice as the voice of the parrot -- actually a cockatoo.

It's written and directed by Noel Langley from a novel by Norman Lindsay. Langley is best remembered as one of the writers of 1939's The Wizard of Oz. He died in 1980 at the age of 68.