Cinema: The Vintage Years

ProductionEdit

Episode: 9
Date: March 24, 1971
Time: 50:24
Musical Director:
Vocals: The Ladybirds
Choreography:
Producer: John Robins
Director: John Robins
Writer: Benny Hill

EpisodeEdit

• Quickie: Unfaithful Dance
• Ballad: The Egg Marketing Board Tango
• French for Starters
• The Messenger
• The Grass is Greener
• Supermarket Dance
• Benny: Behind The Scenes
• The Ladybirds: Close to You
• Cinema: The Vintage Years
• Bloopers - 3
• The French Bonanza
  • German Butter
  • Cavern Keg Beer
  • Opportunitie Knokkes
• Westminster Funsters
• Chow Mein's Restaurant
• Tag: Man in a Wheelchair

HighlightsEdit

• French For Starters
• The Messenger
• Supermarket Dance
• Passengers of Love

CastEdit

• Benny Hill
• Nicholas Parsons
• Andree Melly
• Bob Todd
• Johnny Greenland
• The Ladybirds
• Jenny Lee Wright
• Jack Wright
• Lesley Goldie
• Kay Frazer
• Sue Bond
• Connie Georges

QuotesEdit

• Andree Melly - "I believe you played leads..."
  Merwyn Cruddy - "Oh yes, and Munster and Birmingham."

• Merwyn Cruddy - "And sometimes I suffered pain with a big "P.""

• Andree Melly - "She was a masochist!"
  Merwyn Cruddy - "She spoke perfect English!"

• Benny Hill - "What do you call a man who marries another man? A Vicar...."

• Benny Hill - "How do male elephants find female elephants in the long grass? Very nice."

• Edward Heath - "Now, boys and girls, I want to talk about our little party. Now, because I don't want you in our party."
  Harold Wilson - I don't want to join your rotten little party. All you do is go around and around in concentric circles in your own inflationary spiral."

• Mamood Ramsun - "I would like a little service."
  Chow Mein - "Then go to a little church."

• Chow Mein - "Do you want to spirit?"
  Mamood Ramsun - "No, I don't want to spill it, I want to drink it."
  Chow Mein - "I didn't say spirit, I said spirit. Don't you know the Queen's English?"
  Mamood Ramsun - "I'm sure he is."

• Chow Mein - "How you like your coffee?"
  Mamood Ramsun - "Like I like my women... Hot and sweet."

• Chow Mein - "If you can't see it, and you can't smell it, we ain't got it."

TriviaEdit

• First appearance of Andree Melly
• The series once again reverts back to color after three episodes in black and white.
• The castles in the Messenger skit are Sissinghurst in Kent and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
• The female dancer with Benny in the Supermarket Dance is Kay Frazer. They're joined by Jackie Wright as the manager and Bob Todd and Bettine LeBeau as the arresting officers. The sketch incorporates ballet, salsa and other music themes with pantomime.
• In an open moment with the audience, Benny also mentions "The Mike and Bernie Winters Show" also filmed at Thames.
• Bettine Le Beau introduces Benny's International Bloopers.
• Johnny Greenland is the "dance double" for Benny in the International Bloopers.
• Benny plays Lorne Greene and Dan Blocker in a "Bonanza" spoof. Bob Todd is the Indian with the female voice.
• The Westminster Funsters shows a rare political satire directed at Edward Heath (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974), Harold Wilson (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970) and Enoch Powell (Conservative Member of Parliament from 1950 to 1974).
• Several clips from this episode made it into the The Best of Benny Hill.

SequenceEdit

• Last Episode: Undercover Sanitary Inspector
• Next Episode: Fun in the Kitchen