George and Mildred (film)
| George and Mildred | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Peter Frazer Jones |
| Produced by | Roy Skeggs |
| Written by | Dick Sharples |
| Starring |
Yootha Joyce Brian Murphy Stratford Johns Norman Eshley Sheila Fearn Kenneth Cope David Barry |
| Music by | Les Reed |
| Cinematography | Frank Watts |
| Edited by | Peter Weatherley |
Release dates | 1980 |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
George and Mildred is a 1980 British comedy film directed by Peter Frazer Jones. It was an adaptation of the television series of the same name. Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy reprised their television roles as the two title characters. It was written by Dick Sharples. Vicki Michelle also had a role in the film.
Synopsis
Mildred decides that she and George will celebrate their wedding anniversary in style at a swanky London hotel - however unhappy George might be at the cost involved. "I'm a traffic warden, not Aristotle Onassis", he tells her. But on arrival, George is taken for a ruthless hit-man by a shady businessman (Stratford Johns), who wants a rival eliminated. Mildred meanwhile remains in blissful ignorance throughout the resulting chaos.
Reception
Released shortly after the death of star Yootha Joyce (who died on 24 August 1980), the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success. One critic has described the film as "one of the worst films ever made in Britain . . . so strikingly bad, it seems to have been assembled with a genuine contempt for its audience."[1] A writer for The Guardian stated that the film's failure marked "the death knell" for the 1970s British practice of producing motion picture spinoffs based on sitcoms.[2] The film aired on television on Christmas Day 1980, only a couple of months after its theatrical release.
Cast
- Yootha Joyce as Mildred Roper
- Brian Murphy as George Roper
- Stratford Johns as Harry Pinto
- Norman Eshley as Jeffrey Fourmile
- Sheila Fearn as Ann Fourmile
- Kenneth Cope as Harvey
- David Barry as Elvis
- Sue Bond as Marlene
- Nicholas Bond-Owen as Tristram Fourmile
- Neil McCarthy as Eddie
- Dudley Sutton as Jacko
- Garfield Morgan as Bridges
- Harry Fowler as Fisher
- Bruce Montague as Spanish businessman
- Michael Angelis as Café Proprietor
- Hugh Walters as Waiter
- Johnnie Wade as Porter
- John Carlin as Casino Supervisor
- Suzanne Owens as Croupier
- Bridget Brice as Receptionist
- Robin Parkinson as Receptionist
- Roger Avon as Commissionaire
- Dennis Ramsden as Bishop
References
- ↑ Julian Upton, "Carry On Sitcom: The British Sitcom Spin-off Film 1968-1980", Bright Lights Film Journal, no. 35 (January 2002).
- ↑ Jon Bentham, "Funny money", The Guardian, 12 January 2006