At the time when Reg Varney was riding on the success of both the TV and film versions of On The Buses (the film outings made more for Hammer than their blood and boobs films at the time), this tragi-comedy hit the screens. Adapted from an ITV Playhouse drama (which also starred Varney) it is a touching look into the life of a showman whose life is collapsing around him while he is completely unaware.
Varney plays holiday camp drag queen and all-round entertainer “Sherry” Sheridan, his act watched by bemused punters who are more interested in the beer (a great appearance by Bill “Harry Cross” Dean and Reginald Marsh), obnoxious kids and OAPs while all the time his wife Mary (Diana Coupland) is having an affair with the camp boss Charlie (Lee Montague). When his son (Michael Hadley) turns up announcing his marriage, and the camp is to be taken over by acerbic Emma (Jean Harvey) things start to unravel.
This film is something of a revelation; as one comes to it expecting Varney’s chirpy character as we know and love. We do get that, to a certain extent, but only under the cracked veneer of the faded performer who still believes his own hype. Varney manages to inject the character with pathos, and we are soon feeling sorry for him, even when it’s infuriatingly obvious he has brought his woes upon himself.
You get a real sense people are pitying this old fool who camps it up (no pun intended) and plays the fool, while all the time he is being made a fool, and carries on regardless.
There’s a great double act in young chancers George Sweeney and David Lincoln, hoping to pull the only really eligible girls, played by Clare Sutcliffe and the ever lovely Penny Spencer (Please, Sir!, Under The Doctor, The Playbirds); this includes an amusing interlude while they attempt to purchase contraception.
Formerly Coronation Street’s Mike Baldwin and bit part player in several 70s sex comedies, Johnny Briggs props up the bar as the on-the-make bartender; I became used to seeing him propping the bar up from the other side at the Lime bar in Salford Quays where he had a home, but I never plucked up the courage to talk to him about these early roles.
Jane Seymour makes a pre-Live and Let Die appearance and queen of the cameo, Claire Davenport pops up in a couple of scenes.
This was director Christopher Hodson’s only big screen film, most of his output being for TV, but give or take the occasional use of over sentimental music, he handles the subject really well. I must try to track down the Playhouse version to compare notes (it would have made an excellent bonus feature).
Released by Network DVD in their The British Film strand, it looks and sounds as good as it should. I really must commend Network for putting out so many obscure and financially risky titles recently, so please do support them and buy (they tend to be less than a tenner on the Network website). Now, if only they could follow this up with the other, more traditional Varney feature, Go For A Take (1972; also starring the wonderful Norman Rossington and a host of cameos including Dennis Price as Dracula) it would be brilliant. (hint, hint)
7 out of 10
