Are You Being Served? (film)

Infobox_Film
name = Are You Being Served?: The Movie


size = 250px
caption = Are You Being Served?
director = Bob Kellett
producer = Andrew Mitchell
writer = David Croft,
Jeremy Lloyd
starring = John Inman,
Mollie Sugden,
Frank Thornton,
Trevor Bannister,
Wendy Richard,
Arthur Brough,
Nicholas Smith
music =
cinematography = Jack Atcheler
editing = Al Gell
distributor = EMI
released = 1977
runtime = 95 mins
language = English
bbfc_rating = A (1977),
PG (1987)
budget =
imdb_id = 0075696|

"Are You Being Served?: The Movie", is a 1977 motion picture based on the British sitcom "Are You Being Served?", which follows the staff of Grace Brothers' Men's and Women's Department as they take a holiday in Costa Plonka while their department is renovated.

Plot

Grace Brothers' requires renovation. To compensate for time off work, Young Mr Grace (Harold Bennett) sends the entire staff of the Men's and Women's Department on the Second Floor on a two week holiday to Costa Plonka in Spain. While there, they find themselves in the middle of a revolution, and among the essential holiday larks – trying the local cuisine, setting up camp, and passing naughty notes to each other over the dinner table, for instance – they must deal with being confined to their hotel during the uprising.

When Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) announces that Mrs Peacock won't be joining them on their holiday, Mrs Slocombe ( "Mary Elizabeth Jennifer Rachel Abergavenny Yiddell ", Mollie Sugden) sees an opportunity to seduce him. She is as oblivious as ever to the fact that Captain Peacock has his eye – or rather both eyes – on Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard), the attractive young Womenswear junior. Peacock is, in turn, seemingly unaware that Miss Brahms has known all along, deflecting each advance with ease, which lends to the phrase "Every time a coconut."

The staff find, to their chagrin, that the public bathroom only has a lock on the outside, and that the local custom is to sing a song while you are using it to let others know of its occupation. This causes a problem for Mr Grainger (Arthur Brough), who after a local meal states, "Many more dinners like that, and I shall have to learn a longer song!"

Dinnertime proves to be very eventful, as many of the staff take the opportunity to pass naughty notes to each other around the table. Needless to say few of the notes reach their intended recipients, and chaos ensues when Mrs Slocombe receives a note, presuming it to be from Captain Peacock, when really it was from Mr Lucas (Trevor Bannister) to Miss Brahms.

Mr Humphries (John Inman) is popular with the girls – and, as situation has it, the "other" sex – and has to deal with the advances of Conchita (Karan David), a working at the hotel. She frequents Mr Humphries' tent at night, with the hopes that he will "make her happy".

And to top it all, fully armed civil unrest led by Cesar Rodriguez (Glyn Houston) forces the team to remain inside the hotel, for fear of being involved any more than necessary.

The premise of the entire floor going away on package holiday comes from “Hurrah for the Holidays”.The “I’ll bet it’s not the first time you lost your knickers in the tube” gag comes from “Cold Store”.The Arab Emir coming in to buy trousers comes from “Fire Practice”.Mrs. Slocombe having trouble getting out of the lift comes from the “Series Pilot”.Mrs. Slocombe wondering what a very tacky display costs (for personal purchase) comes from “Father Christmas Affair”.Looking at the brochures in Mr. Rumbold’s office with the maintenance man comes from “Hurrah for the Holidays”.The “it pays to advertise” quip comes from “It Pays to Advertise”.The entire sleeping in tents (and misc. gags such as blowing up airbags) comes from “Camping In”.The “Do I detect an anti-German sentiment” and subsequent byplay comes from “German Week”.The entire passing of the notes gag comes from “Dear Sexy Knickers”.The “Who’s for melon balls?” gag comes from “Coffee Break”.The “You’re brave having seafood salad” and subsequent byplay comes from “Coffee Break”.The pouring of the wine resulting in a bathroom rush comes from “A New Look”.Mr. Lucas taking the bra off the model gag comes from “Cold Store”.Ms. Brahms saying to a customer “Oh that does suit Madam” as she tries on hats comes from “No Sale”.The gag of the girl being “much happier since he’s had the operation” comes from “Diamonds are a Man’s Best Friend”.Mr. Humphries’ minicab breaking down on the way to a fancy dress party comes from “Wedding Bells”.The slow typing (one finger) secretary gag was later recycled in “The Sweet Smell of Success”

Reception

"Are You Being Served?: The Movie" received generally poor reviews, for instance described by Michael Stailey as a movie that is "guilty of violating almost every law of comedy and film." [http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/areyoubeingserved.php] While the general response was somewhat milder, the movie is widely considered to be lacking in originality, plot, and focus. The actors are said to be half-hearted and unfocused in their portrayal of their characters, a state that was caused by the fact that they found it hard to adapt to the lack of studio audience and reaction to skits and one-liners.

Another disappointment was that the movie seems is generally compiled of various skits and jokes already used in episodes for the original show, with little originality in storyline or humour. Mrs. Slocombe's offscreen inflation of her air mattress to the horrified reaction of Captain Peacock was a joke used in the 1973 episode "Camping In". The "Dear Sexy Knickers" note that failed to reach its intended recipient had also been previously used in an episode from the show's first season.

The film was an adaptation of the very successful stage version of the show which enjoyed a two year run in 1976 and 1977.

Cast

The full core cast of characters appear in this film, with all the actors reprising their roles from the original series and joined by a few guests.

Core

External links

*imdb title|id=0075696|title=Are You Being Served?: The Movie
*rotten-tomatoes|id=are_you_being_served_the_movie|title=Are You Being Served?: The Movie