'Nothing Barred' was one of several British comedy movies directed by Darcy Conyers; others include 'The Night We Got The Bird' and 'The Night We Dropped A Clanger' ( which also starred Brian Rix ). After reading the sour-faced reviews ( two people say they do not like Brian Rix which begs the question 'why did they bother to watch and review one of his films?' ) here, I'm wondering if we saw the same film. I found it absolutely hilarious. If anyone found it 'unfunny', its their fault, not the film's.
Whitebait Manor is forced to open to the public when 'Lord Whitebait' ( Naunton Wayne ) falls on hard times. Hardly anyone turns up, so His Lordship decides to hire a crook to steal a priceless painting and then claim the insurance. A recently released safebreaker by the name of 'Jim Barger' ( Leo Franklyn ) appears to be the man to recruit. Unfortunately, His Lordship and his man servant 'Spankforth' pick on the wrong man, a naive plumber called 'Wilfred Sapling' ( Brian Rix ). He thinks he is being hired to fix a geyser, not realising he is expected to rob the place. To add to the comic confusion, Barger shows up on the same night and tries to steal the picture. Both men are arrested. Wilfred is released. He decides to get Barger sprung from jail in order to complete the crime...
Written by John Chapman, this is an expertly-constructed farce, well played by all concerned. Not a single character is wasted. Some great comic actors are on view here, such as Terry Scott, Bernard Cribbins, Irene Handl, a young Andrew Sachs, and Jack Watling. 'Coronation Street' star Margot Bryant( Minnie Caldwell ) appears briefly. The film races along from one absurd situation to another. It has aged rather better than the Jacques Tati films that have enjoyed a repeat on Talking Pictures T. V. recently.
Funniest moment - Barger and other crooks, dressed as choir boys, escaping from the prison chapel through a trapdoor and then wandering through a sewer, still singing 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful! A drunken man ( Wilfrid Lawson ) turns on his taps to wash his hands, and the singing reaching his ears!
It would be a crime to miss it!
Whitebait Manor is forced to open to the public when 'Lord Whitebait' ( Naunton Wayne ) falls on hard times. Hardly anyone turns up, so His Lordship decides to hire a crook to steal a priceless painting and then claim the insurance. A recently released safebreaker by the name of 'Jim Barger' ( Leo Franklyn ) appears to be the man to recruit. Unfortunately, His Lordship and his man servant 'Spankforth' pick on the wrong man, a naive plumber called 'Wilfred Sapling' ( Brian Rix ). He thinks he is being hired to fix a geyser, not realising he is expected to rob the place. To add to the comic confusion, Barger shows up on the same night and tries to steal the picture. Both men are arrested. Wilfred is released. He decides to get Barger sprung from jail in order to complete the crime...
Written by John Chapman, this is an expertly-constructed farce, well played by all concerned. Not a single character is wasted. Some great comic actors are on view here, such as Terry Scott, Bernard Cribbins, Irene Handl, a young Andrew Sachs, and Jack Watling. 'Coronation Street' star Margot Bryant( Minnie Caldwell ) appears briefly. The film races along from one absurd situation to another. It has aged rather better than the Jacques Tati films that have enjoyed a repeat on Talking Pictures T. V. recently.
Funniest moment - Barger and other crooks, dressed as choir boys, escaping from the prison chapel through a trapdoor and then wandering through a sewer, still singing 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful! A drunken man ( Wilfrid Lawson ) turns on his taps to wash his hands, and the singing reaching his ears!
It would be a crime to miss it!