Inn for Trouble *** (1960, Peggy Mount, David Kossoff, Leslie Phillips, Shaun O’Riordan, Ronan O’Casey) – Classic Movie Review 7549

The Larkins ride again in director C M Pennington-Richards’s genial 1960 film Inn for Trouble, a big-screen adaptation of the then current, highly popular Fifties/Sixties British ITV series that ran from 1958 to 1964.

Peggy Mount stars as the formidable, dragon-like matriarch Ada Larkins, David Kossoff plays the irrepressible henpecked husband Alf Larkins, both re-creating their TV roles, and Ronan O’Casey and Shaun O’Riordan also re-create their roles as Jeff Rogers and the clueless Eddie Larkins, with a lovely cast including Leslie Phillips, Glyn Owen, Charles Hawtrey, A E Matthews, Yvonne Monlaur and Irene Handl and even the story and screenplay writer Fred Robinson in support.

The plot revolves around the Larkins taking over a pub in the countryside, but finding that business is terrible thanks to the locals boycotting the brewery’s beer. So they introduce an extra-strong ale and some special gimmicks to win custom.

Like the punning title Inn for Trouble, the film is not perfect, maybe, but it is certainly amusing and pleasant enough, and generally above par for a British TV spinoff.

Also in the memorable cast are Alan Wheatley, Graham Moffatt, Willoughby Goddard, Gerald Campion, Stanley Unwin, Esma Cannon, Edwin Richfield, Edward Woodward, Frank Williams, Graham Stark, Barbara Mitchell, Paddi Edwards, Arthur Lawrence, and John Woodnutt.

Peggy Mount (1915–2001).

Peggy Mount was awarded the OBE in the 1996 Queen’s New Year Honours List for her services to drama. Her career ended her in 1998 when she lost her sight during a performance of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. She died on 13 November 2001 in Northwood, London, after a stroke, aged 86.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7549

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com