Privates on Parade
Directed byMichael Blakemore
Written byPeter Nichols (play)
StarringJohn Cleese
David Bamber
Denis Quilley
Bruce Payne
CinematographyIan Wilson
Edited byJim Clark
Music byDenis King
Production
companies
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release date
18 March 1983
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budgetunder £2 million[1]

Privates on Parade is a 1983 film adaptation of the Peter Nichols play of the same name about a fictional – and mostly gay – military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia" assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan jungle during the Malayan Emergency.[2]

Cast and characters

Reception

One critic stated that Privates on Parade was 'better suited to the theatre'.[3] Derek Winnert stated that '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'.[4] Vincent Canby described the film as 'fine, witty, extremely self-assured [and] something seldom seen in movies-a melodramatic farce that comes complete with songs, dances, lewd jokes, sudden death, teary sentiment and smashing performances'.[5]

References

  1. ^ Robert Sellers, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The Inside Story of HandMade Films, Metro 2003, pp. 121–131
  2. ^ Sandra Brennan (2009). "Privates on Parade". All Movie Guide. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Privates on Parade". cgiii.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  4. ^ Winnert, Derek (18 July 2018). "Privates on Parade *** (1982, John Cleese, Denis Quilley, Michael Elphick, Nicola Pagett, Bruce Payne, Joe Melia) – Classic Movie Review 7306". derekwinnert.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  5. ^ Canby, Vincent (22 April 1984). "Privates on Parade". The New York Times. p. G19.

External links


HandMade Films
Categories