Movie: Bottoms Up
Bottoms Up is probably the best known of the English
film comedies that had an eccentric, cane-swishing headmaster at its centre.
There were many, especially in the 1950s. We met Fun
at St. Fanny’s here.
Bottoms Up, made in 1960, starred Jimmy Edwards and was a
movie spin-off of the TV series Whacko! which we also met earlier (see
here).
The plot is familiar. Edwards is in trouble with his
bookmaker and under pressure from his Board of Governors to improve educational
standards at the school. He tries to solve his problems through deceit.
Wikipedia tells us,
“The cast is notable for the inclusion of
juvenile actor John Mitchell (as Wendover), who gained world renown in the late
1960s as the drummer in The Jimi Hendrix Experience, using his
adult stage name, Mitch Mitchell, and it also marks the first film
appearance of Richard Briers, who went on to TV stardom in the
1960s sitcom Marriage Lines and the hugely popular 1970s
sitcom The Good Life.”
Bottoms Up is regularly rebroadcast
on digital television in the UK and is available
to buy on DVD.
Here are three clips
demonstrating the ‘comedy gold’ that can be mined with a swishy rattan cane ...
Video and Picture credits: Associated
British Elstree Studios.
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