As a fan of British comedies of this era I was pleased to discover Not Wanted On Voyage.
Two cabin stewards, the scheming Albert Higgins (Ronald Shiner) and his dim witted mate Cecil Hollebone (Brian Rix), set out on a ocean voyage under the exasperated Chief Steward (Michael Brennen). Along for the trip are the wealthy Mrs. Borough (Fabia Drake) and her secretary Pat (Dorinda Stevens). Obviously Mrs. Borough's jewels attract the attention of thieves Guy Harding (Griffith Jones) and Julie Harris (Catherine Boyle). Also along for the trip are the demanding Col. Blewton-Fawcett (Michael Shepley) and honeymooners Mr. and Mrs. Rose (John T. Chapman and Therese Burton).
The plot of the movie is primarily the theft of Mrs. Borough's jewels, no points for guessing who gets falsely accused of the dastardly deed, but most of the movie consists of scenes of Steward Higgins' moneymaking schemes and Steward Hollebone's ineptitude as they interact with a variety of passengers and crew.
The attractions of this movie include a good mix of verbal and physical comedy, a high professional standard amongst the large cast of characters and a good pacing (82 minutes).
However, on the negative side, the comedy seems a little dated, with the verbal comedy not memorably witty and the physical comedy not terribly original. Perhaps the bigger negative is that, upon reflection, many of the main characters aren't that sympathetic. Ronald Shiner's character literally doesn't do anything good for anyone, including his purported mate played by Brian Rix, without charging money for it. Contrast this with Sid James' characters in the Carry On films, who often schemed but inevitably were revealed to have a soft heart. Only Brian Rix's character comes off as warm but obviously playing dim witted all the time has its own limitations.
None of this detracts from the fact that the movie is pleasantly enjoyable watching but it does mean that the emotional satisfaction from the movie is less.
Technical credits on the British DVD I watched were professional.
Two cabin stewards, the scheming Albert Higgins (Ronald Shiner) and his dim witted mate Cecil Hollebone (Brian Rix), set out on a ocean voyage under the exasperated Chief Steward (Michael Brennen). Along for the trip are the wealthy Mrs. Borough (Fabia Drake) and her secretary Pat (Dorinda Stevens). Obviously Mrs. Borough's jewels attract the attention of thieves Guy Harding (Griffith Jones) and Julie Harris (Catherine Boyle). Also along for the trip are the demanding Col. Blewton-Fawcett (Michael Shepley) and honeymooners Mr. and Mrs. Rose (John T. Chapman and Therese Burton).
The plot of the movie is primarily the theft of Mrs. Borough's jewels, no points for guessing who gets falsely accused of the dastardly deed, but most of the movie consists of scenes of Steward Higgins' moneymaking schemes and Steward Hollebone's ineptitude as they interact with a variety of passengers and crew.
The attractions of this movie include a good mix of verbal and physical comedy, a high professional standard amongst the large cast of characters and a good pacing (82 minutes).
However, on the negative side, the comedy seems a little dated, with the verbal comedy not memorably witty and the physical comedy not terribly original. Perhaps the bigger negative is that, upon reflection, many of the main characters aren't that sympathetic. Ronald Shiner's character literally doesn't do anything good for anyone, including his purported mate played by Brian Rix, without charging money for it. Contrast this with Sid James' characters in the Carry On films, who often schemed but inevitably were revealed to have a soft heart. Only Brian Rix's character comes off as warm but obviously playing dim witted all the time has its own limitations.
None of this detracts from the fact that the movie is pleasantly enjoyable watching but it does mean that the emotional satisfaction from the movie is less.
Technical credits on the British DVD I watched were professional.