Privates on Parade *** (1982, John Cleese, Denis Quilley, Michael Elphick, Nicola Pagett, Bruce Payne, Joe Melia) – Classic Movie Review 7306

Director Michael Blakemore’s 1982 British comedy Privates on Parade is a faithful film of a very camp, old-fashioned Seventies stage hit by clever writer Peter Nichols, drawing on his own 1947 Malayan emergency experiences with the British troops entertaining unit ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association). Nichols writes his own tidy screenplay, which no doubt helps it to be a faithful film of the stage hit.

Denis Quilley, in a tour de force, repeats his hilarious (if very much non-politically-correct) stage role as the gay Acting Captain Terri Dennis, an outrageous drag queen ruling the roost among British soldiers’ postwar song-‘n-dance entertainers in late Forties Singapore. They are members of SADUSEA (Song And Dance Unit South East Asia).

Unfairly replacing Nigel Hawthorne from the stage show, John Cleese is steady-handed in a solid performance as the empty-headed CO in charge, the bossy, boring, straight, militaristic Major Giles Flack.

There are some good jokes and songs, but Privates on Parade is sometimes a bit dodgy and dated, and the lurch into serious drama at the end works no better on film than it did on stage. The cowardly Sergeant Major Reg Drummond (Michael Elphick) is selling arms to the locals.

Also in the cast are Patrick Pearson, Nicola Pagett, Bruce Payne, Joe Melia, John Standing, David Bamber, Julian Sands, Neil Pearson and Simon Jones.

John Schlesinger, Kenneth Williams and Stanley Baxter were also with ENSA at the time.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7306

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