Petticoat Pirates (1961)

Director:

David MacDonald

Writers:

Charlie Drake (additional material)
T.J. Morrison (story)

Release Date:

29 March 1963 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Charlie Drake	...	Charlie
Anne Heywood	...	Chief Oficer Anne Stevens
Cecil Parker	...	C-in-C
John Turner	...	Lt. Michael Pattinson
Thorley Walters	...	Captain Jerome Robertson
Maxine Audley	...	Mary - Superintendent
Eleanor Summerfield	...	Chief Wren Mabel Rawlins
Victor Maddern	...	CPO Nixon
Lionel Murton	...	Admiral
Barbara Hicks	...	P.T. Instructress
Kenneth Fortescue	...	Paul Turner
Dilys Laye	...	Sue
Penny Newington	...	Elizabeth
Michael Ripper	...	Tug
Anton Rodgers	...	Alec

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)

Don't lose faith in the British film industry!

I can't help but harbour a niggling feeling that, if it were handled well, this film could have been quite good, quite enjoyable and maybe even funny in parts! I think it would have been quite a successful Norman Wisdom vehicle, rather than Charlie Drake – it's the sort of thing Norman was good at. Then, perhaps, the British film industry would have one less film to feel embarrassed about. However, what we are left with here is just plain irritating throughout – a film that is sometimes bland, never funny and often really quite bad.

The absolutely biggest culprit to point the finger at is that horrid little man: Charlie Drake - without a doubt, the least funny person I've ever endured. His sense of humour seems to have got itself lost at some point during the past forty years; today it's a painful experience – the verbal jokes fall flat and the physical comedy is awful. What makes matters considerably worse is that he is evidently enjoying what he's doing more than any person who might be watching.

I feel that this film shouldn't be all bad from start to finish. There is a definite good spirit present and, as mentioned, there is probably a good movie underneath all the Charlie Drake rubbish – the mutinous women getting their revenge is potentially quite amusing. But no – this quite interesting (if heavy-handed) feminist storyline is completely undermined by the very fact that this film is unashamedly sexist. Gross titillation (Charlie Drake style!) and a completely ridiculous scene involving all the women inexplicably sunbathing on deck in swimsuits (despite the fact they are supposedly as action-thirsty as the men)demolish all that might save this film.

Oh well, I'm sure someone must have enjoyed it forty years ago.

2/10