In a collection of the best jokes, characters and sketches from several series of his television series, Benny Hill presents his usual brand of humour. Dressed as a woman he delivers all types of innuendo and confusion, his attempts at serious acting are frustrated by costars, is in an old film that is badly edited, is a doctor in a rather unusual hospital and many other hilarious sketches.
When I look back to the comedy from the UK in the 1970's too often I see it being infested with a crude sexual humour that can be seen in the downward slide of the Carry On series, the Confessions Of series, On The Buses and plenty of other comedies that rely on shapely young ladies, "dirty old men" and innuendo in place of real wit or imagination. Thinking back with hindsight over the comedies that I watched that influenced the sense of humour I have today, it tends to be stuff like Woody Allen, Spike Milligan, the Goons, Morecambe and Wise and perhaps the likes of Frankie Howerd the humour I like tends towards the acerbic, cynical, darker and perhaps even a little tragic; sadly few of these words spring to mind when one is discussing Benny Hill. For that reason I must admit that I laughed only two or three times during this "Best Of" compilation.
It is also telling that when I think of Benny Hill, nothing really comes to mind other than THAT music and the speeded up saucy chase sequences. Typically this show has a few such sequences and they are basic and as unfunny as I remember them to be showing little in the way of unique touch or imagination. However there are a few moments where Hill does show imagination that does go beyond saucy postcard antics and show a genuine creative touch many of these are actually quite funny and almost made the film worth watching. Overall though many viewers will find this to be mostly badly dated seaside postcard humour although enough of the humour works for non-fans to enjoy, although for my money Benny Hill doesn't really stand out among the crowd of comedians who influenced me as I was growing up.
When I look back to the comedy from the UK in the 1970's too often I see it being infested with a crude sexual humour that can be seen in the downward slide of the Carry On series, the Confessions Of series, On The Buses and plenty of other comedies that rely on shapely young ladies, "dirty old men" and innuendo in place of real wit or imagination. Thinking back with hindsight over the comedies that I watched that influenced the sense of humour I have today, it tends to be stuff like Woody Allen, Spike Milligan, the Goons, Morecambe and Wise and perhaps the likes of Frankie Howerd the humour I like tends towards the acerbic, cynical, darker and perhaps even a little tragic; sadly few of these words spring to mind when one is discussing Benny Hill. For that reason I must admit that I laughed only two or three times during this "Best Of" compilation.
It is also telling that when I think of Benny Hill, nothing really comes to mind other than THAT music and the speeded up saucy chase sequences. Typically this show has a few such sequences and they are basic and as unfunny as I remember them to be showing little in the way of unique touch or imagination. However there are a few moments where Hill does show imagination that does go beyond saucy postcard antics and show a genuine creative touch many of these are actually quite funny and almost made the film worth watching. Overall though many viewers will find this to be mostly badly dated seaside postcard humour although enough of the humour works for non-fans to enjoy, although for my money Benny Hill doesn't really stand out among the crowd of comedians who influenced me as I was growing up.