Starring: Ronnie Barker, Michael Hordern
Cert:
General Futtock (Barker) owns a large manor house and receives a telegram
that his niece is coming to visit and is bringing a few friends with her.
When they arrive, Futtock and butler (Hordern) bundle the five of them from
the train station to the house and, inadvertently, take a Chinese tourist with
them.
The weekend is meant to be spent socialising and relaxing but amongst that is
a whole bunch of shenanigans that just causes complications. The lecherous
butler constantly attempts to separate two of the guests so he might have his
wicked way with the young lady (or at least, spy on her naked), the Artist is
having trouble with his landscapes as half the scenery keeps disappearing
mid-paint, the Aunt just can't get her knitting pattern's right and the
General's hunting dog doesn't understand his job profile.
A perfectly good weekend seems destined to be ruined by mishaps,
misunderstandings and misogyny.
The wake of Ronnie Barker's passing was bound to catalyse the release of
a number of his classic works. What with The Best of The Two Ronnies,
Porridge and Open All Hours already on their third and fourth
there are only a couple of lesser acknowledged series and 'features' left. So we
have The Very Best Of Ronnie Barker out on 24th July 2006, A Home
Of Your Own on 7th August 2006 and just recently, Futtock's End
which was also scripted by Barker.
Which is a rather odd credit to have on this film considering there is no
dialogue at all throughout the 45 minutes. Instead, the story is given an added
comedic twist with over the top sound affects more indicative of a radio
comedy.
There's something double-edged about nostalgia in that it's perfectly
wonderful to reminisce about the 'good old days' and the 'classics' but then
when you're confronted by elements of that bygone era it can also end up being a
bit of a kick in the teeth. One can think back and trace the progression of
comedy from now to then and firmly state these features deserve their places in
the annals. But when you watch them now you can't help but compare them to the
comedy of now and then that little reserve of comtemplative affection gets
infected with doubt.
Futtock's End is a testament to the creative talents of Ronnie
Barker but is probably a testament to his talents at the time. Futtock's
End is a disjointed story of set pieces that are, at times, embarrassing in
their datedness. It was a period when the height of British comedy was to see
old men gurning at young ladies ample bosom and skimpy costumes. More bizarre
than funny, especially, to see Hordern doing it, rather than Barker.
There are occasional snippets of classic silliness and farce, which, a true
fan of Barker's will probably love. Some of the set-ups are intricately arranged
and the lack of dialogue pushes the dependence on acting ability of which the
cast are infallible. In the end this was all a bit too Benny Hill for
my liking, however, if Benny Hill rocked your boat, then this may still
do it.
The main plus point Futtock's End has left me with is a desire to
seek out some similar 'classics' that I have grown with a nostalgic affection
for, specifically Eric Sykes' The Plank and Rhubarb. I fear,
though, that they, too, may fall short of my expectations.
Special Features
You're not going to get much from such an old film and
especially when the entire cast has died. Maybe a retrospective collection of
commentaries but, of course, they have to have been recorded. However there is a
director's commentary which, again, big fans will probably enjoy as Bob Kellett
gives a thorough telling of the background of the film, it's production, the set
and the cast. And since there's no dialogue for him to speak over the top of,
it's not a distraction from the feature meaning you don't have to sit through it
twice.
