- Rhubarb (1969 film)
Infobox Film
name = Rhubarb
caption =
director =Eric Sykes
producer =Jon Penington
writer = Eric Sykes
starring =Harry Secombe
Eric Sykes
music =Brian Fahey
cinematography =Arthur Wooster
editing =
distributor =
released = 1969
runtime = 37 min.
country = UK
awards =
language = English
budget =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0420127"Rhubarb" was a 1969 British short film written and directed by
Eric Sykes , starring Sykes andHarry Secombe . The dialogue consisted entirely of repetitions of the word "rhubarb ", all the characters last names were "Rhubarb", and even the license plates on vehicles were "RHU BAR B". A baby "spoke" by holding a sign with the word "Rhubarb" written on it."Rhubarb" is a radio idiom for unintelligible background speech. Typically extras would mutter the word over and over to provide ambience for a crowd or party scene. In "
The Goon Show " the cast was usually only the three principals, who would try to sound like a larger group by repeating "rhubarb" very quickly, with outbreaks of "Custard !" for good measure. Sykes was a close collaborator and friend of the Goons. He remade the piece in 1980 forThames Television , as "Rhubarb Rhubarb ".Plot
A
Police Inspector and avicar play a round ofgolf . The Police Inspector has a Constable help him to cheat by removing hisgolf ball from awkward situations, and the vicar ultimately requestsDivine Intervention .Cast
*
Kenneth Connor ... Mr Rhubarb
*Jimmy Edwards ... Police Constable Rhubarb
*Hattie Jacques ... Nurse Rhubarb
*Ann Lancaster ... Mrs Rhubarb
*Anastasia Penington ... Baby Rhubarb
*Gordon Rollings ... Artist Rhubarb
*Harry Secombe ... Vicar Rhubarb
*Johnny Speight ... Gents Rhubarb
*Graham Stark ... Golfer Rhubarb
*Eric Sykes ... Police Inspector Rhubarb
*Sheree Winton ... Girl Rhubarbee also
*
Walla
* "Rhubarb Rhubarb ", the 1980 remake of "Rhubarb".
* Other Eric Sykes short silent films in similar style: "The Plank" (1967), "The Plank" (1979 remake of the 1967 film), "It's Your Move" (1982), "Mr. H Is Late " (1988) and "The Big Freeze" (1993).External links
*
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/48287 Rhubarb] at the BFI website
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