Bio[]
Hill Department Store is a public outlet market located in England, possibly in Lower Tidmarsh or Teddington. It sells a variety of merchandise, such as clothing and accessories.
While perusing the store, a customer (Benny Hill} sees what looks like a naked lady, but it's really a saleslady (Laraine Humphrys) standing behind a headless mannequin. The store manager (Jackie Wright) tries shooing him off, and he inadvertently walks into the lady's changing area where a woman (Lee Gibson) is changing clothes. Having become a nuisance, he starts arguing with and poking at the manager, but he turns to look at the women, only to turn around briefly and back to resume poking, only this time at a female police officer (Trudi Van Doorn. Now truly in trouble, he turns to flee, getting mistaken with another shopper (Bella Emburg) behind a man reading a newspaper (Henry McGee. Another officer (Bob Todd) shows up to catch him, but he evades them by using the shade on a light fixture like a fez to disguise his look and by hiding among mannequins. He then hides under a large sombrero and a Mexican wrap to crawls out, but the lady shopper's (Bella Emburg) foot pulls off his disguise. He then runs into a room which turns out to be the Ladies room, getting chased by several ladies (Laraine Humphrys, Lee Gibson, Trudi Van Doorn and Bella Emburg) as well as the manager (Jackie Wright). He finally makes the parking lot with the customers and staff on bicycles joined by Chief Running Bare (Bill Weston) and a young boy (unidentified) all disappearing into an abandoned Western set.
Trivia[]
- The sketch is only known as "Department Store." "Hill Department Store" is only used for identification purposes.
- Compared to later versions of this gag, the view with Laraine Humphrys's head on the topless mannequin isn't nearly as convincing as later versions of this illusion.
- The exterior shots were filmed on the grounds of Teddington Studios. The close proximity of the Western set front would imply they once rested on the field across the road from the studio before getting moved to Thorpe Park for later episodes.
- The re-appearance of Bill Weston as Chief Running Bare from The Deputy suggests these episodes were taped back to back.
- The unidentified boy bringing up the rear is unidentified. He might be the son of a cast member, but this is unconfirmed.
- This might be the same department store from Poster Girl and Girls Girls Girls Nightclub.
