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Post by dem bones on Sept 15, 2011 17:36:12 GMT
John Haselden - 'Allo 'Allo: The War Diaries of René Artois (BBC Books, 1988) Grub Street Designs, London It is France at the time of the Nazi occupation and lecherous café owner René Artois has been imposed upon by the local Resistance to hide two fugitive British airmen from the Gestapo until such times as they can escape to Blighty. ... Hard to believe this BBC TV series supposedly caused a public outcry on its initial 1982 release for allegedly making light of WW2. Hasty reassurances that it was merely a light-hearted take on such stiff upper lip fare as Colditz and Secret Army calmed the waters, and we were free to dissolve into fits of helpless laughter at the unprecedented ribald hilarity of it all. For a generation cruelly deprived On The Buses simply through being born too late, the hi-jinks surrounding Van Klomp's stolen masterpiece 'The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies', concealed in a knockwurst sausage which had an uncanny knack for finding its way down the front of everyone's trousers, was almost too hilarious to survive. French maids Yvette-and-the-other-one (plus main Gestapo moll Helga) flashing their suspenders on a frequent basis was the topping on an already over-generously rich cake. There really should be loads more TV like this around. Anyway, you can relive the entire glorious experience in the first volume of Rene's memoirs. Vicki Michelle (Yvette) has pulp paperback credentials: she found her way onto the cover of Colin Douglas's The Greatest Breakthrough Since Lunchtime (Fontana, 1978). Vicki had earlier starred alongside her sister Ann in Tigon's censor-baiting and truly terrible Virgin Witch and would go on play a vampire victim to Leslie Grantham's pervy old count in a stage version of Dracula. Early career: Betty (Vicki Michelle) escapes the clammy clutches of coven leader Gerald Amberlyin in Tigon's Virgin Witch (1971)
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Post by andydecker on Sept 15, 2011 20:34:52 GMT
They showed a couple of eps on one of our pay-tv comedy chanels. I thought it very unfunny I mean, Hogan´s Heroes got a chuckle or two, but this was just painful to watch, the ladys notwithstanding.
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Post by pulphack on Sept 16, 2011 8:11:05 GMT
i can see that. it's of a strain of english comedy that in many ways was moulded by - ironically - Ted Kavanagh's radio hit of the war ITMA (It's That Man Again - referring to lead comic Tommy Handley but taken from a Daily Express headline about Hitler from 1938). in doing this show, TK discovered that you need a minimum of plot if you have a lot of characters who get catchphrases and you have them walk through doors and repeat those phrases at least once a show. the laughter of recognition. you do it at a fast enough pace and the laughter just builds.
(there was a study in the fifties with milton berle - THE US tv comic at the time) where he stuck a non sequiteur into a series of gags in different live gigs at different moments and audience reaction was monitored. the results showed that the audience was at such a pitch that they just laughed anyway)
it's a very english style of comedy, and i'm not sure it travels well. the goon show used it but had more substance to back it up. considering some of lloyd and crofts other shows, such as Are You Being Served, you can see they loved this technique (Dads Army - lloyd with jimmy perry - also does this to a degree, as does a lot of sit com), and really pushed it in Allo Allo.
i loved it at the time, haven't seen it for years, despite being aware that i was manipulated by fiendish hack writers (story of my cultural life). wonder what i'd think now?
incidentally, vicki michelle could until recently still be seen in loughton and chigwell regularly, and has aged rather well, bless her. Virgin Witch was awful (i so wanted to like it) and her sister could actually act. whatever happened to ann? i note it also has neil hallet, doyen of keep it up downstairs (written by crossroads creator hazel adair, fact fans).
that book cover is wonderfully of its time, though... splendid stuff.
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Post by Shrink Proof on Sept 16, 2011 10:13:33 GMT
The problem isn't anything to do with it being offensive or of it making light of the war.
The problem is that it is buttock-clenchingly unfunny.
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