Maid for Murder

The premise that a series of murderous attacks on an 'actress' whose main skills are in being foreign and scantily dressed, by a couple of standup comics is lost in tedious script. The attempt to make it funny with a carry-on style score that ranges from intrusive to fairground, to tell us that "this bit's very funny" in case we fall asleep and miss it. Then it's all rounded off with a 'jazzy' song sung by a middle aged youth (presumably) with lyrics that the writer have up on before the end of the first verse. All of the 'comedy sketches' if inserted into a comedy sketch show might raise a titter in the midst of more skilful material, but stacked together they don't distract from the popcorn or the ice lollies. I gave it a 4 because it might appeal to the sort of viewers who might find it more interesting than teleshopping.

Now I could never stand Bob Monkhouse. However I found Alfred Marks screamingly funny, especially on his chat show appearances So here we have one plus and one minus making a definite minus.

This was one of a number of films made at the time where the main plot point was murdering a relative for some good reason.

Based on a play one has to assume that audiences found it funny. If they did this film adaptation does not recreate anyof the fun times had in the theatre.

Brothers Bob Monkhouse and Alfred Marks have been written out of the will. Everything has been left to their second cousin, a convent-reared girl. They consider marriage, but neither of them seem very interested in the subject. Instead they decide to murder the woman. When it turns out to be Anna Karina, however, they become heterosexuals, when not botching their various murder attempts.

It's a very funny black comedy of the lowest variety, with plenty of sight gags, camera trickery, and out-and-out pratfalls. Hattie Jacques is on hand as a journalist, and Peter Butterworth is very funny as a doctor who has forgotten everything he knew about medicine, including the difference between a head and a foot. Miss Karina is present to wear an amazing strapless evening gown, to be very sweet, and to serve as the impervious target of the two inept would-be murderers.

A bit like a Carry On film but with less innuendo and not quite as funny. Plenty of amusing set pieces and this film would have satisfied cinema goers at the time but less so now.

Good enough to watch if you get the chance. Anna is illegally beautiful and has a natural beauty and charm that has largely disappeared due to women in the entertainment business these days insistent upon having surgery to all look the same, and not in a good way.

A small cast but with great performances all round. Very sexist of course which would have the feminists up in arms now but it was essential to the plot of the film of course.

The comedy farce 'She'll Have To Go' about a pair of brothers who - when their indulgent lifestyle is threatened - plan murder, starts off quite brightly.

The dialogue between the brothers and their butler is fairly sharp and lively with some good chuckles to be had. Alas, director Asher doesn't seem to have confidence in the material as he inserts various 'wacky' visual tricks that are jarring and irritating.

In anycase the film gets weaker the longer it goes on. Notwithstanding Hattie Jaques' amusing performance, her journalist character could have easily been excised from the film without anything being lost. And the final 20 minutes or so are particularly tedious and dreary.

The film does gain an extra level of interest though with Anna Karina's presence and not just because she does well in her role. To see someone who is on the verge of becoming an icon of the cutting-edge French New Wave appear in an old-hat British stage farce mixed with a dollop of 'Carry On' style bawdy humour is curiously fascinating.