- Grand Slam (1978 film)
"Grand Slam" is a 1978 sports
comedy film fromBBC Wales . The film starred Oscar-winnerHugh Griffith ,Windsor Davies , andSion Probert .Plot
Four men, members of a Welsh rugby club fly over as part of an outing to
Paris for the weekend to seeWales playFrance in the Grand Slam. One of the party is Caradog Lloyd-Evans (Griffith), who briefly served in occupied Paris duringWorld War II . Caradog pays for his son Glyn's air ticket on the proviso that Glyn comes on a 'pilgrimage ' to find his 'little butterfly' who he spent a short romantic period with during the war. This pilgrimage is successful and although the right place is found, it is no longer the innocent bistro of his youth but one of manystrip club joints. Mr Lloyd-Evans mistakes a young girl in the club (who is a spitting image of his 'little butterfly') for the real thing and finds that the girl is actually the daughter of his old flame. He is (naturally) disappointed but Glyn (Dewi Morris ) gets himself acquainted with the daughter while Caradog reminisces with his 'butterfly'. A quick call to the hotel brings the entire tour party to the club where fun and frolicking takes place lead by Mog. Some locals take exception and a mass brawl starts with the police getting called in. All are arrested except Caradog (protected by his 'butterfly') and Glyn (hidden in the daughter's room).Sion Probert plays camp
boutique owner Maldwyn Pugh, who is the only one of the original four who makes the start of the match, because Mog (Davies) is still in jail because he was considered the ringleader (the others were released), Caradog is with his 'butterfly' and Gwyn is trying for his own sexual 'Grand Slam'. Mog is eventually released halfway through the first half of the match, but when he finally arrives at the stadium, the match has seconds to go and Wales unfortunately lose. Caradog is found collapsed near the table, and his old flame thinks he has died, but her daughter fires asoda siphon on his face, and the story ends with Caradog warning his son of the dangers ofoverseas travel.The film is iconic in Wales, being broadcast many times in the twenty-seven years after it was made. It is also popular in
Australia .This film marked the second-last
film ortelevision appearance of actorHugh Griffith who died in1980 .External links
*imdb title|id=0363653|title=Grand Slam
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