Penny Points to Paradise
Encyclopedia
Penny Points to Paradise is a 1951
comedy feature film. The film was the feature film debut of the stars of The Goon Show
, Spike Milligan
, Harry Secombe
and Peter Sellers
.
The film was directed by Tony Young
, who later went on to produce The Telegoons
for BBC Television
.
. He and his friend Spike Donnelly (Milligan) decide to go to the same shabby seaside boarding house
that they have always patronised for their summer holiday, but this year all the other guests (including two young women out to marry money, a dodgy investment advisor and a master forger and assistant) are intent on taking the fortune off them in one way or another.
Ultimately the forgers manage to substitute fake five-pound notes for the real ones that Flakers keeps in his suitcase, but before they can abscond with the money one of the girls is given cash by Flakers to buy some cigarettes, and accused of passing false currency when the forgery is detected. A grand chase follows with half the characters pursuing the other half through a waxwork museum in which the true crooks have taken refuge. Justice is served when the chief forger boasts of his crime in front of what he thinks are two waxwork policemen, but who turn out to be real members of the force.
In the final scenes Harry and Spike get married to the two girls -- in at least one case under duress!
Notable comic sequences include a night out at the theatre where a stage hypnotist mesmerises Flakers and the girl Christine into performing an operatic duet, he singing soprano and she baritone, and a scene in which Harry Secombe wordlessly mimes out an entire heart operation being carried out by a nervous surgeon.
" which had also featured Sellers. A print of this re-issue survived in the National Film and Sound Archive
, Australia.
A 16 mm copy of "Penny Points to Paradise" was discovered in 2006 in the archives of Adelphi Films, and in 2007 a 64-minute partial restoration was screened at BFI Southbank
. Funding from an American Peter Sellers fan made it possible to attempt a full restoration, using the 16mm print as a reference copy and working from the various incomplete 35 mm archive sources. The resulting 72-minute version was screened by the BFI in July 2009, with a DVD release planned for August 2009. Vic Pratt, BFI curator, described it as "a cheap and cheerful film that was filmed in just three weeks".
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
comedy feature film. The film was the feature film debut of the stars of The Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
, Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
, Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
and Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
.
The film was directed by Tony Young
Tony Young (director)
Tony Young is a film director and television producer. His films include Penny Points to Paradise , The Eternal Question and The Runaway ....
, who later went on to produce The Telegoons
The Telegoons
The Telegoons was a BBC television comedy puppet show adapted from the highly successful BBC radio comedy show of the 1950s, The Goon Show. Two series of 13 episodes were made. The series was briefly repeated immediately after its original run, and all episodes are known to have survived...
for BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
.
Plot
Secombe plays the part of Harry Flakers, a man who has a big win on the football poolsFootball pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
. He and his friend Spike Donnelly (Milligan) decide to go to the same shabby seaside boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
that they have always patronised for their summer holiday, but this year all the other guests (including two young women out to marry money, a dodgy investment advisor and a master forger and assistant) are intent on taking the fortune off them in one way or another.
Ultimately the forgers manage to substitute fake five-pound notes for the real ones that Flakers keeps in his suitcase, but before they can abscond with the money one of the girls is given cash by Flakers to buy some cigarettes, and accused of passing false currency when the forgery is detected. A grand chase follows with half the characters pursuing the other half through a waxwork museum in which the true crooks have taken refuge. Justice is served when the chief forger boasts of his crime in front of what he thinks are two waxwork policemen, but who turn out to be real members of the force.
In the final scenes Harry and Spike get married to the two girls -- in at least one case under duress!
Notable comic sequences include a night out at the theatre where a stage hypnotist mesmerises Flakers and the girl Christine into performing an operatic duet, he singing soprano and she baritone, and a scene in which Harry Secombe wordlessly mimes out an entire heart operation being carried out by a nervous surgeon.
Cast
- Harry SecombeHarry SecombeSir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
as Harry Flakers - Alfred MarksAlfred MarksAlfred Edward Marks OBE was a comic actor and comedian.-Biography:Marks was born as Ruchel Kutchinsky in Holborn, London. He left Bell Lane School at 14 and started in entertainment at the Windmill Theatre. He then served in the RAF as a Flight Sergeant in the Middle East where he arranged...
as Edward Haynes - Peter SellersPeter SellersRichard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
as The Major / Arnold Fringe - Paddie O'NeilPaddie O'NeilPaddie O'Neil OBE was a British actress and singer.-Filmography:* Penny Points to Paradise * The Early Bird * The Adding Machine * Fanny Hill -External links:***...
as Christine Russell - Spike MilliganSpike MilliganTerence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
as Spike Donnelly - Bill KerrBill KerrWilliam 'Bill' Kerr is an Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia....
as Digger Graves - Freddie FrintonFreddie FrintonFreddie Frinton, born Frederick Bittiner Coo was an English comedian who remains a household name in Germany and Scandinavia because of his performance in Dinner for One....
as Drunk - Vicki Page as Sheila Gilroy
- Joe Linnane as Policeman
- Sam KyddSam KyddSam Kydd was an Ulster-born English actor. An army officer's son, he was born in Belfast, but moved to London, England when he was a child. He was educated at Dunstable Grammar School in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England....
as Porter / Taxi Driver
Revival
According to Peter Sellers "a terrifyingly bad film", the film was not profitable on initial release and was eventually re-issued for distribution abroad in 1960 as a cut-down 55-minute version under the title "Penny Points". Many sections were removed, and some additional unrelated material was incorporated from a short comedy entitled "Let's Go CrazyLet's Go Crazy (film)
Let's Go Crazy is a 1951 comedy film marking an early appearance of Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers playing multiple roles.-Cast:*Peter Sellers*Spike Milligan*Wallas Eaton*Tommy Manley*Florence Austin*Freddie Mirfield*Keith Warwick...
" which had also featured Sellers. A print of this re-issue survived in the National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
, Australia.
A 16 mm copy of "Penny Points to Paradise" was discovered in 2006 in the archives of Adelphi Films, and in 2007 a 64-minute partial restoration was screened at BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films and is operated by the British Film Institute.-History:...
. Funding from an American Peter Sellers fan made it possible to attempt a full restoration, using the 16mm print as a reference copy and working from the various incomplete 35 mm archive sources. The resulting 72-minute version was screened by the BFI in July 2009, with a DVD release planned for August 2009. Vic Pratt, BFI curator, described it as "a cheap and cheerful film that was filmed in just three weeks".
External links
- The Goons films at The Goon Show website
- The Goons films at The Telegoons website