'Bless This House', created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, was launched in 1971 and quickly established itself as one of I.T.V.'s biggest-ever sitcom successes. A year later, a spin-off feature film hit cinemas, following the route taken by 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'On The Buses'. With Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas in charge, it was bound to wind up looking like a 'Carry On', and did. The first and most sensible thing they did was replace boring Robin Stewart with cheeky Robin Askwith as Sid's son 'Mike'. Secondly, they brought in Peter Butterworth to play Sid's friend and next-door neighbour 'Trevor Lewis'. While I liked Anthony Jackson's 'Trevor', Butterworth and Sid are a far more natural comedy team. Thirdly, they had Terry Scott and June Whitfield as the Abbott's new neighbours, 'Ronald' and 'Vera Baines'. Scott's character is not the lovable 'Terry' of 'Happy Ever After/Terry & June', but a pompous snob. These changes benefited the movie enormously, though I wish the Geoff Love theme tune had been retained. Eric Rogers provided the new music.
Dave Freeman's script lacks a central binding plot, consisting mainly of sub-plots such as Mike bringing home a right banger of a car, Jean and Betty running an old junk stall in a local market, Sid's attempts to make wine in a home-made distillery in his shed, Mike getting a job in a fast-food restaurant ( where he meets and falls in love with 'Kate', played by Carol Hawkins of 'The Fenn Street Gang' ), Sid and Jean attempting to conceal the damage they have made to the Baines' lounge whilst attempting to remove an over-mantle, and Sid and Ronald engaging in open warfare of the 'Love Thy Neighbour' sort. Interesting to hear 'Sally' ( Sally Geeson ) expressing concerns for the environment. We could laugh at her in those days. She was dead right though, wasn't she? And she looks great in a bikini!
Some sterling performers in small roles, including George A.Cooper as the owner of the restaurant where Mike works, Bill Maynard as the market owner who has a roving eye, Wendy Richard as a waitress, Johnny Briggs as a lorry driver, Janet Brown ( who was Peter Butterworth's wife ) as their soon-to-leave neighbour, with Julian Orchard as her husband.
Funniest moment - Sid and Ronald turning up late at the church for Mike and Kate's wedding in a fire engine!
Some reviewers have said the film is a useful time capsule of '70's Britain. It is not - Britain was never this nice a place to live. It hardly matters though. 'House' is a pleasant way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Dave Freeman's script lacks a central binding plot, consisting mainly of sub-plots such as Mike bringing home a right banger of a car, Jean and Betty running an old junk stall in a local market, Sid's attempts to make wine in a home-made distillery in his shed, Mike getting a job in a fast-food restaurant ( where he meets and falls in love with 'Kate', played by Carol Hawkins of 'The Fenn Street Gang' ), Sid and Jean attempting to conceal the damage they have made to the Baines' lounge whilst attempting to remove an over-mantle, and Sid and Ronald engaging in open warfare of the 'Love Thy Neighbour' sort. Interesting to hear 'Sally' ( Sally Geeson ) expressing concerns for the environment. We could laugh at her in those days. She was dead right though, wasn't she? And she looks great in a bikini!
Some sterling performers in small roles, including George A.Cooper as the owner of the restaurant where Mike works, Bill Maynard as the market owner who has a roving eye, Wendy Richard as a waitress, Johnny Briggs as a lorry driver, Janet Brown ( who was Peter Butterworth's wife ) as their soon-to-leave neighbour, with Julian Orchard as her husband.
Funniest moment - Sid and Ronald turning up late at the church for Mike and Kate's wedding in a fire engine!
Some reviewers have said the film is a useful time capsule of '70's Britain. It is not - Britain was never this nice a place to live. It hardly matters though. 'House' is a pleasant way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.