Steptoe & Son

I hated the movie version. The dad is a subhuman horror and does all he can to destroy his son's unhappy life. The acting is uniformly good. More gloom and tragedy than laughs.

The 1970s was the decade of big screen adaptations for popular British TV series and STEPTOE AND SON is the first of two such workings for the ever-popular show (STEPTOE AND SON RIDE AGAIN would be released the following year). Fans of the series are likely to enjoy it as it sees the return of Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell to their most famous roles, and the old camaraderie is back once more as if they'd never been away.

However, this is a film that feels very different to the good-natured and light-hearted TV show. There's a cold, almost ruthless streak of pessimism in the production that makes this feel more like a tragedy than a comedy. In some ways it feels like an episode drawn out to feature length and the single-strand plot makes some elements of the production feel drawn out and repetitive.

In essence the tale is about Corbett falling for a stripper and deciding to marry her, only for the needy Brambell to get in the way. Carolyn Seymour successfully portrays the awkwardness felt at coming between this pairing. There's little more to it than that, but at times this film feels like a depiction of psychological and emotional torture, with Brambell turning the thumb screws at every opportunity. It's testament to the skill of the two stars that this remains a likable comedy despite the darkness of the script. Inevitably, the grimy surroundings are better realised than ever on film as opposed to television, and the envelope is pushed further than ever with nudity and bad language in the mix.

Just rewatched this film on the Talking Pictures TV channel for the umpteenth time, and yet can't help but do it. Especially when there is naff all else on the box, even though I have the movie on DVD and can see if any time.

The TV episodes being barely thirty minutes long the stories, are necessarily structured to fit the time slot.

Unlike what may be considered more typical comedy sitcoms, these are formed more in the manner of short plays. The shows writers deliberately wanted that to be the case, they didn't want comics for the principal characters. No they wanted actors, who were used to that form of discipline. And were more than capable of handling a wider range, of emotions than in a straightforward sitcom.

All of this is relevant to the characters dynamics of father and son, in the intensely claustrophobic environs of their home and work environment.

I really cannot imagine any comic managing to handle more than one emotion at a time, especially not consecutively.

I watched all of the shows both monochrome and the latter colour ones, it was a comedic staple of my evening TV entertainment.

Part of what has always appealed to me is the natural dynamic friction, between Albert and Harold.

I enjoy watching both TV show and films however many times that is, and for a long time simply lapped up the comedy.

It took me quite a while before I finally started thinking, about the characters in rather more detail.

The more I did the less the comedy sufficed or more accurately was viewed, from a slightly different perspective.

I came to actually see the characters through my own eyes from where I was in my own life, resenting the dad and bemoaning what a pillock the son was.

Reading other reviews I see people bemoaning the film because its drearier than the TV show, that can easily be understood and explained.

That's only because the movie's longer timeframe allows, for greater character development. And they are seen through a wider prism, of the world around them.

This captures the heart and soul of the TV show.The two leads are so realistic that you could not really see them as anything other than a classic double act.a neat story even if the ending is predictable.but its stays true to character.some good genuine laughs.though you do feel for the younger Steptoe.

If you're a fan of the original TV series then you'll enjoy both of these films although they are both very different. That series was of course one of the first comedy-dramas seen on TV seamlessly blending slapstick with biting social commentary and sometimes tragedy. Not wanting just to be a long TV episode, the first film tries to be a little more serious, a little more drama than comedy. Some people fund that a bit unpalatable at the time so the second film goes the other way being more of a traditional comedy film.

When you watch the first film you might wonder how on earth this is classed as a comedy because it is very dark. It does have its funny moments but overall it is quite emotionally draining as we're witness to Harold's life falling apart aided by his father's pretty horrible cruelty and mental torture. Besides YES releasing CLOSE TO THE EDGE, 1972 was not a happy year for the UK and this film gives us a voyeuristic insight into how depressing things were back then for the majority of people. Although it's heavy going at times and you're more likely to cry than laugh, it is enjoyable and satisfying. What makes this extra special is Carolyn Seymour as the girl who captures Harold's heart. She plays a stripper in a seedy club and as someone who takes her clothes off for a living she is of course very attractive but because she's such a great actress, she's also instantly likeable even though she's actually not that nice. Her character is just so real so much so that you can perhaps empathise with her most of all.

As a result of the negative backlash against the first film, the next one, in my opinion went too far the other way. Although maintaining the spirit of the original show this one decides to be a comedy and indeed it is a very funny comedy. If you're a Steptoe fan then this will make you laugh but maybe because I'm a miserable old git, I prefer the first one.