Double Bunk
Encyclopedia
Double Bunk is a 1961
British black-and-white comedy
set on a houseboat, that stars Ian Carmichael
and Sid James
.
The musical score was composed by Stanley Black
and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt.
) and Peggy (Janette Scott
) face eviction from their rented London
flat, they are tricked into buying a rundown houseboat by its current owner Alfred Harper (Reginald Beckwith
) and his put-upon wife (Irene Handl
). Mr Watson (Dennis Price
) owns Jack and Peggy’s mooring and soon makes their acquaintance by introducing them to his mooring tariffs and associated surcharges.
After rebuilding the engine with the help of his friend Sid (Sid James
), a used-car salesman, Jack and Peggy plan a trip down the Thames River
to Ramsgate
, taking along Sid and his partner Sandra (Liz Fraser
). On their way, they get into trouble with the Thames Conservancy
(Naunton Wayne
) and also the river police (Terry Scott
).
After Sandra's transistor radio gets misplaced next to the compass, they manage to end up in Calais
. With no fuel and supplies, they have to resort to desperate actions to get themselves and their houseboat back home. This involves Sandra putting on a striptease for Watson, who also happens to be in Calais Harbour on his own boat, to enable Jack and Sid to borrow some of Watson’s fuel and food. The next morning they follow Watson back across the Channel
, as their own compass is broken, and end up entering into a wager with Watson on who can get back to their mooring first.
1961 in film
The year 1961 in film involved some significant events, with West Side Story winning 10 Academy Awards.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:* Atlantis, the Lost ContinentB...
British black-and-white comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
set on a houseboat, that stars Ian Carmichael
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
and Sid James
Sid James
Sid James was an English-based South African actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona...
.
The musical score was composed by Stanley Black
Stanley Black
Stanley Black OBE was an English Bandleader, Composer, conductor, arranger and pianist. He wrote and arranged many film scores and recorded prolifically for the Decca label...
and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt.
Plot
When newlyweds Jack (Ian CarmichaelIan Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE was an English film, stage, television and radio actor.-Early life:Carmichael was born in Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The son of an optician, he was educated at Scarborough College and Bromsgrove School, before training as an actor at RADA...
) and Peggy (Janette Scott
Janette Scott
Thora Janette Scott is an English actress. She was born in Morecambe, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She started her acting career as a child actress, known as Janette Scott, and became a popular leading lady...
) face eviction from their rented London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
flat, they are tricked into buying a rundown houseboat by its current owner Alfred Harper (Reginald Beckwith
Reginald Beckwith
Reginald Beckwith was a British film and television actor, who made almost one hundred film and television appearances in his career.-Filmography:* Freedom Radio * Scott of the Antarctic...
) and his put-upon wife (Irene Handl
Irene Handl
-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
). Mr Watson (Dennis Price
Dennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
) owns Jack and Peggy’s mooring and soon makes their acquaintance by introducing them to his mooring tariffs and associated surcharges.
After rebuilding the engine with the help of his friend Sid (Sid James
Sid James
Sid James was an English-based South African actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona...
), a used-car salesman, Jack and Peggy plan a trip down the Thames River
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, taking along Sid and his partner Sandra (Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser is an English actress, mainly in comedy roles.- Life and career :Her birthdate is usually attributed as 1933, the year she gave when auditioning for her role in I'm All Right Jack, as the Boulting Brothers wanted someone younger for the part...
). On their way, they get into trouble with the Thames Conservancy
Thames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...
(Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne , was a British character actor, born in Llanwonno, South Wales. He was educated at Clifton College....
) and also the river police (Terry Scott
Terry Scott
Owen John "Terry" Scott was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven Carry On films. He also appeared in BBC1's popular domestic sitcom Terry and June with June Whitfield...
).
After Sandra's transistor radio gets misplaced next to the compass, they manage to end up in Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. With no fuel and supplies, they have to resort to desperate actions to get themselves and their houseboat back home. This involves Sandra putting on a striptease for Watson, who also happens to be in Calais Harbour on his own boat, to enable Jack and Sid to borrow some of Watson’s fuel and food. The next morning they follow Watson back across the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, as their own compass is broken, and end up entering into a wager with Watson on who can get back to their mooring first.