The Bootleg Files: The Plank

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 812: “The Plank” (1967 British comedy film).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It never made it across the Atlantic for a commercial release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not in the U.S. market.

For every Benny Hill, Monty Python or “Are You Being Served?” that crossed the Atlantic, there are scores of British funnymen who either tried and failed to find an American audience or never gave it a go. Two of the most inventive and delightful British comics to find favor in their country, Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper, are mostly unknown to Americans – and I might wonder if today’s younger Britons are familiar with these yesteryear stars.
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The Bootleg Files: Stop Messin’ About! – The Very Best of Kenneth Williams

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 696: “Stop Messin’ About! – The Very Best of Kenneth Williams” (1996 documentary on the British funnyman).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Due to its lack of availability in the U.S.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

One of the joys of the long-running British film series of Carry On comedies was the brilliance of its ensemble – this was the rare series where every member of the cast enjoyed a wealth of laugh-out-loud dialogue and sight gags. But if there was a first among equals in the Carry On crew, it would have to be the immortal Kenneth Williams.
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The Bootleg Files: Heil Honey I’m Home!

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 653: “Heil Honey I’m Home!” (1990 British sitcom that ran for one episode before being cancelled).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: One of the most notoriously bad productions in British television history.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nein.

Imagine “I Love Lucy” with Adolf Hitler as Ricky Ricardo, Eva Braun as Lucy and an obnoxious Jewish couple as the Mertzes. Welcome to the production that makes “The Day the Clown Cried” seem like the pinnacle of fine art: the 1990 British sitcom “Heil Honey I’m Home!”
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The Bootleg Files: Odd Man Out

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 647: “Odd Man Out” (1977 British television series starring John Inman and Josephine Tewson).

LAST SEEN: It is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Never broadcast in the U.S.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

In last week’s column, we considered a failed attempt to Americanize the long-running British comedy series “Are You Being Served?” This week, we stay on the subject by focusing on the unsuccessful effort by one of the stars of “Are You Being Served?” to start his own series.
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Is Benny Hill Funny?

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Phil Hall

Once hailed as England’s funniest man, Benny Hill has fallen victim to political correctness and his comedy is rarely revived. But are his critics wrong to dismiss him as sexist and racist? On this episode of The Online Movie Show, Facebook’s funniest man Anthony “The Kingfish” Vitamia returns to discuss Benny Hill’s importance in the comedy world, along with a focus on his often-overlooked movie performances.

The episode can be heard here.

“The Online Movie Show” is produced at the Platinum Wolfe Studios.

The Bootleg Files: Bell Bottom George

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 582: “Bell Bottom George” (1944 British comedy starring George Formby).

LAST SEEN: An unauthorized posting is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The film and its star are unknown in the U.S.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It has been released on British DVD, but a U.S. release is unlikely.

Very few Americans ever heard of George Formby, but over in Great Britain he is revered as one of the top entertainers of the 1930s and 1940s. With his squeaky Lancashire voice, his toothy grin, his penchant for singing upbeat tunes (many with saucy double meanings) while playing a ukulele or banjolele, and a persona for being a lovable bumbler who somehow manages to save the day, Formby personified what the British refer to as the “cheeky chappie,” but which Americans would recognize as a working-class hero.

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