Double Bunk (1961) User Reviews

Pretty Good

[vox-sane · 7/10 · 5 February 2007]

Starring Ian Carmichael and Janette Scott, "Double Bunk" feels like a sequel to the hilarious "School for Scoundrels." There are no figures comparable to the inimitable Alastair Sim or Terry-Thomas, who supported Carmichael and Scott in "School for Scoundrels." However, in "Double Bunk" Carmichael and Scott are aided and abetted by Sid James, Liz Fraser, and Dennis Price (who had a very insignificant part in "School for Scoundrels").

In "Double Bunk" Carmichael and Scott are newlyweds who, fed up with the cost of rent, purchase a houseboat. The houseboat is the typical junk sold to gullible newlyweds, and the pair immediately run afoul of the man with the biggest yacht.

With the help of his pal Sid (James), and without the consent of his wife, Carmichael repairs the boat's engine and sets off for a Honeymoon cruise on the river. James is a car salesman, but he's toned down from the unscrupulous scalawag he portrayed so well in "Hancock's Half Hour." However, he does display some of the lechery that made him famous later, on both sides of the Atlantic, in the "Carry On" movies. Joining Carmichael and Scott on the cruise, James brings a girl (Liz Fraser) he meet in a strip joint.

Carmichael (who had made a career playing fresh and gullible young men) and James (who made a career playing the sort of scoundrels and lechers who usually take Carmichael's characters in) work well together.

Fraser ("I'm All Right, Jack"; "Two Way Stretch") has her bountiful assets on display as much as possible. She and her assets come in quite handy on the cruise: she dissuades a Thames Conservancy Officer (Naughton Wayne, looking like he sorely misses Basil Radford) who wants to cite Carmichael for the excessive damage his houseboat has caused from a high wake due to speeding down the river; and she distracts Dennis Price and his crew with a (tame) striptease while Carmichael and James swipe needed fuel.

The movie's greatest flaw is that everything that happens is Carmichael's fault, either directly or indirectly. Scott is doled out some comic business resulting from the blunders of the others. This means her role is largely reactive, and it makes her seem too superior to her husband. Since they are both novices at marriage and at boating, they should both be making errors from their inexperience.

According to Carmichael's autobiography, he was playing "The Gazebo" on stage simultaneously with making this movie. He was filming on the Thames by day and darting to his stage performance that evening. During one performance he stepped into the wings and collapsed from exhaustion. He shows little fraying on-screen, but his performance is a tad lackluster, probably because he wasn't giving the movie all his strength.

Not a lot happens in this movie, but it's amusing and there's some amazing stunt work with boats. Look for Miles Malleson and Irene Handle in throw-away roles.

Mr. Carmichael Buys His Dream Boat

[boblipton · 6/10 · 1 January 2019]

Ian Carmichael and Janette Scott getting married and anxious for a home. They buy a houseboat, which turns out to be a pig: she leaks,she has dry rot, the engine doesn't work, and harbor owner Dennis Price has just doubled the docking, water and electric fees. Ian's mechanic pal, the ubiquitous Sid James, suggests they fix the engine and go on a honeymoon on the boat, with him as dogsbody. He shows up with stripper Liz Frazer. As soon as they set off, things start to go awry.

It's a rote but well executed British comedy of the early 1960s, with lots of leering and little to be observed, although the presence of some old comedy hands offers a pleasantly nostalgic air for older folk going to the cinema: Naunton Wayne (in his penultimate film appearance), Irene Handl, Noel Purcell, Bill Shine and Miles Malleson all have cameos. If it lacks the raucous humor of the CARRY ON series, it's still pleasant family-friendly fare.

Light hearted romp

[chrischapman-47545 · 7/10 · 20 March 2018]

One of those black & white British comedies in the Carry On mould with a competent cast playing their usual roles, particularly Janette Scott as a sharp comedy actress. Usual 1960's misogyny and somewhat done on a budget but it's a pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon. Ian Carmichael plays probably the only car mechanic to wear a collar and tie under his oily overalls and I'm not sure why his Heinkel bubble car is left hand drive! Some of the stunts were lucky not to lead to serious injury!

Ron & Eff have micro bit Parts

[howardmorley · 6/10 · 17 December 2015]

When I was in hospital in 1957 my bed radio played the comedy "Take it from Here" in which a couple named "Ron" (Wallis Eaton) and "Eff" (June Whitfield) were featured.The producers of Double Bunk (1961) worked these two radio characters into the screenplay twice by portraying them hidden in a punt with a canvas cover over them so that the viewer could retain the mental image of them that they had "seen in their mind's eye" from the radio comedy which I believe Frank Muir & Dennis Norden had written.Another character I recognised from my youth was Gerald Campion who played "Billy Bunter" from the BBC TV children's programme of the 1950s.If you have followed the career of Naunton Wayne he makes a rare solo appearance, minus Basil Radford, playing a harbour master who is side-tracked by the ample charms of a young Liz Fraser.Also on display is comedienne Irene Handel playing a frumpy wife of the previous owners of the houseboat from whom Ian Carmichael & Janette Scott newly weds have purchased it in lieu of a house.In early post war Britain couples had a hard job finding marital accommodation because of blitzed buildings and general strict financial circumstances.The other reviewers have adequately commented on the plot of this very British comedy where each well known actor/actress plays well trodden & familiar roles known by a British audience.

The uppermost question occurred to me watching this film on www.IMDb.com was surely one has to show proficiency by the marine equivalent of the driving test before you can be let loose on the river.But of course the resulting slapstick forms the basis of the film comedy.

Double Bunk review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

Mismatched British comic stalwarts Ian Carmichael and Sid James chug along the Thames in a barely sea-worthy houseboat with shapely Janette Scott and Lis Fraser in toe in this likeable comedy. Although it's only mildly amusing most of the time, the host of familiar and welcome names and/or faces makes it impossible to dislike. It's worth watching for Scott's hot pants alone.

Double Bunk

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 13 November 2022]

Ian Carmichael ("Jack") and his fiancée "Peggy" (Janette Scott) fall foul of her rather fastidious landlady and are soon looking for a house. As luck would have it, they discover a houseboat and for a mere £750 they have their dream home/yacht. Not long after moving in they meet their landlord "Watson" (Dennis Price) who wants to double the rent for their mooring. Extortionate, so he - a mechanic, encouraged by his pal "Sid" (Sidney James), decides to get the old tub mobile again, and off they go for some fun folics on the river with "Sandra" (Liz Fraser) along too. It's a very gently paced nautical comedy, this - it is all very predictable with some easy humour that pokes a bit of fun at the "Commodore Classes" whilst leaving you knowing just what is going to happen - and what the outcome will be, too. Noel Purcell is quite entertaining, Dennis Price gets a well deserved ducking and we certainly discover that life on the ocean waves is not for everyone.

If you see this shovel coming down the river, get out of its way!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 17 March 2022]

This enjoyable British farce had newlyweds Ian Carmichael and Janette Scott moving on to a beautiful old house boat, having been kicked out of their apartment before getting married for being spotted laying in bed together, basically doing nothing. It's very funny to watch Captain Carmichael steer the boat, thinking everything is going well and that he's the best captain since Cook when he's really like W. C. Fields in "Tillie and Gus". New wife Scott isn't keen on the boat, particularly since it's dripping on their honeymoon night, and when they bring a board Branson James and his girlfriend Liz Fraser, more hilarity ensues.

The shot of sailboats being tossed over or overrun by waves as this houseboat (which should be docked somewhere) is very funny, and James, trying to get aboard, ends up clutching the masked which is the likeness of a topless female. A funny script and some great visual farce makes this an enjoyable lighthearted British comedy in the class of a "Carry On!" movie, and indeed, I could have seen this having a few follow-ups. Frazier steals the show with an amusing striptease, and James is sensational with terrific moments of droll humor. But it's Scott, as the put-upon new wife, who gets the best moments, reacting ingeniously as the straight man to Carmichael's overconfident buffoon.

A much underrated black & white comedy of the early 60s

[philharve · 10/10 · 10 September 2006]

I bought the DVD of "Double Bunk" in a sale more out of curiosity than anything else. I like the early black & white comedies of the 50s and 60s starring Ian Carmichael and Dennis Price, such as 'School for Scoundrels', 'I'm All Right Jack', 'Privates Progress' and 'Lucky Jim' in which Ian played more or less the same hapless character who gets lucky in the end. I also like the early Carry Ons such as 'Sergeant', 'Cabby' and 'Regardless'. 'Double Bunk' is like a marriage of the two because several of the Carry On team appear in this comedy about a young couple who buy a rundown houseboat moored in the Thames but soon find themselves crossing the Channel in a fog and landing in France. Less than 24hrs later they are in a race back home after stealing fuel from their competitor's powerful motor launch captained by Dennis Price. The scenes of these two large boats racing up the narrow section of the Thames and creating havoc with smaller sailing boats as well as producing a massive wake that floods the banks and half drowning fishermen out for a quiet days fishing is unique in cinematic history. I can't imagine such as stunt being repeated today. I last saw this film when it first appeared in the cinema when I was still at school. I had forgotten the plot but not song which introduces the film. I'ts called "Double Bunk' (what a surprise!) and is sung by - you'd never guess - Sid James and Liz Frazer who figure prominently in this very well made film. The film has a cast of characters whose faces are immediately recognisable. To see who they are you must watch the DVD. I found it enjoyable to see it again after 45 years. I look forward to seeing it again and again.

Quite tedious

[mortlich · 4/10 · 12 March 2014]

Like another reviewer, I watched this film because it was a British comedy from a "good" era, when a lot of excellent British comedy was being produced, and this one promised well, as it contained proved stars such as Liz Fraser, Dennis Price and Sid James, as well as Ian Carmichael....but be warned - this is not even half as funny as "School for Scandal", for example, or "The Naked Truth", or even "Carry On Screaming", with the plot full of contrived humour and situations that are just simply not funny, though they are obviously meant to be. It was a strain to continue watching it to the end....so I gave up on it before then, considering it beyond rescue.

Nice English comedy - In the spirit of the early Carry On's

[Malc-13 · 8/10 · 5 August 2001]

A nice little comedy. The adventures of a young couple who are forced to buy a house boat for somewhere to live.

Not mega budget and no special effects to speak of - just something to make you smile every now and then.

Sid James is his usual self. Liz Fraser is absolutely gorgeous and Irene Handl shows what a real star she was in her all to brief role

Messing About in Boats

[richardchatten · 2/10 · 27 October 2019]

A film that begins with that awful title song - sung by Sid James & Liz Fraser! - can only get better; but not much. (And we continue to hear the theme repeated regularly thereafter on the soundtrack.)

Obviously made on a shoestring, the frequent bawdy innuendo surpasses even the 'Carry On's of the period. Both leading ladies are delightful, however; and even though Ian Carmichael was nearly twenty years older than Janette Scott he looks youthful enough for them to make convincing newlyweds. (Miss Scott's boyishly short hair, by the way, though extremely becoming, obviously presented continuity problems, since it varies throughout the film and is noticeably shorter and neater in the interiors shot back at the studio at Twickenham).

A treat for British comedy fans

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 13 May 2016]

What a great little film this is! It's a British comedy starring various alumni from the CARRY ON franchise, and one which takes place almost entirely on a houseboat. The film stars the hardworking Ian Carmichael and the elfin Janette Scott as a newlywed couple who through various machinations of the plot decide to go on a short cruise with a friend and his girlfriend; the usual hijinks and hilarity ensue.

Films like DOUBLE BUNK seem to get by on their effortless charm and genuine humour. Certainly there are a few saucy moments here, but the film for the most part belongs to an earlier, cleaner time in which the laughs feel unforced and entirely natural. And when your film is chock full of seasoned comic performers as it is here, it's hard to go wrong.

Inevitably for a film with Sid James in a leading role, he ends up stealing all of the best bits. You can rely on Sid, and he doesn't disappoint. Scott is saddled with a fairly dull 'straight' role although she does have a few good moments - and check out those shorts! - but the best female performance comes from Liz Fraser, playing your usual sex siren. Here, she's a striptease artist, and as well as being breathtakingly gorgeous she's very funny too.

The supporting cast is exemplary. Dennis Price essays the caddish role with ease, while Naunton Wayne's cameo was to be his last performance. Watch out for Miles Malleson as a fishing vicar, and another nice cameo from Irene Handl, who seems to spend all of her screen time in the kitchen! There's plenty of slapstick humour here, and it all holds together very nicely. I think that as a film, DOUBLE BUNK certainly holds its own against the CARRY ONs of the era.

Has its moments

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 2 September 2019]

With a cast that includes Price,James and Fraser it would be impossible to make a film without funny moments.The script is formulaic so any joke you laugh at is because of familiarity rather than originality.

Are you kidding? I can't even boil water!

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 16 October 2012]

Double Bunk is directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards and features music by Stanley Black and photography by Stephen Dade. It stars Ian Carmichael, Sid James, Janette Scott, Liz Fraser and Dennis Price.

When newlyweds Jack (Carmichael) and Peggy (Scott) face eviction from their rented London abode, they get tricked into buying a ramshackle houseboat. Taking the challenge on with determination in their hearts and love in their eyes, they are further knocked back when Mr. Watson (Price), the owner of the mooring station, tells them of the charges they must pay to stay where they are. Rebuilding the engine, Jack decides to treat Peggy to a honeymoon trip down the Thames, so with best pal Sid (James) and his stripper girlfriend Sandra (Fraser) along for the trip, they set off on what will prove to be a mighty adventure.

It opens with James and Fraser singing the delightfully catchy title song, and from there on in the film never lets up the jovial mood created. There's nothing uproarious here, this is a gentle British comedy built to keep the smile on your face, though it does slot in a few laugh out loud moments (double dose of gangplank frivolity, Sid's Vodka hangover, a punch up after a bum squeeze). It's well performed, often sexy (wolf whistles at the ready here for both our lady protagonists) and the water setting is very easy on the eye.

Fans of vintage British comedy are sure to get much from this easy going feel good comedy. 8/10

Past the Sell By Date

[crumpytv · 3/10 · 25 February 2021]

Of interest as a good example of pre Carry On comedy films, but that is all. All the actors played the same characters as most of the other films they did. Rather tedious and predictable. Probably the most interesting aspect of this film was how Janette Scott got into those shorts ... or more to the point, out of them.

Sailing On The Jasmine Cot

[crossbow0106 · 8/10 · 24 November 2008]

This is a story about Jack and Peggy (Ian Carmichael and Janette Scott) who get thrown out of a rooming house for being in the same room together. They end up buying a somewhat dilapidated houseboat. enter Sid James playing a man named Sid who offers to sail the boat as part of a honeymoon for Jack and Peggy. He brings along Sandra, the always welcome Liz Fraser. After wreaking havoc with other leisure boaters they get stuck in a fog and end up in France. They have to get back and end up racing another boat owned by Watson, who was charging Jack and Perry ridiculous rent to keep the houseboat in the harbor in England. This is a fun film which gets better as it goes along. There is some slapstick and, since Sandra is a stripper, a little titillation but not much. Sid James plays a character we've seen him play so many times, the wise cracking friend not always up to complete good. I miss him a lot in films. If you like British humor that doesn't rely on tawdriness, just a decent plot with good performances, here it is. I don't think you will be disappointed.