Chillichap's Review - Double Bunk 1961 Movie Starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Sid James & Liz Faser - A Film I've Just Watched

Hello!

Welcome to my review of this film. Spoiler alert!  When I review films I tend to appraise the whole film but never reveal the ending. Well, YouTube has done it again. It recognised that I liked films with Sid James in and has thrown this one up for me to watch. What made Sid James such a great actor? I suppose his charisma and the way he seemed to be himself in each role-a loveable rogue with no pretensions and nothing to hide.

The intro to the film has a picture of two pillows and the song 'Double Bunk performed by Sid James and Liz Frazer! We start at a rental property where some of the tenants seem to be struggling to pay their rent. Jack Goddard (Ian Carmichael) dashes across the hallway to Peggy (Janette Scott) with a newspaper that has an advertisement for a cheap home. The couple have been engaged for three months. Peggy realises it's a houseboat. Jack is frustrated because he and Peggy have yet to consummate their relationship. 

The couple decides to go and visit the boat called 'Jasmine'. They're greeted by Harper (Reginald Blacksmith), the owner of the boat. He seems a bit of a rogue and the boat is a bit tatty. However, the couple like it. He introduces them to Mrs Harper (Irene Handl) who seems rather eager to leave. Harper wants £1100 for the boat. Peggy offers £750 which Harper gladly accepts. 

Jack has to sell his sports car and does a deal with Sid (Sid James-who else?) for cash and a less good car. Jack and Peggy get married and drive in Jack's new bubble car to their new home. There's an attempt to carry Peggy across the threshold, but the planks give way. Neighbour and owner of the mornings, Leonard Watson (Dennis Price) comes over to introduce himself. Watson tells them about the charges for morning their boat, which are extortionate. Jake and Peggy decide to move their boat. Set for a night of romance, the ceiling in their bedroom springs several leaks which they catch in pots and pans. Handle's Water Music plays appropriately on the radio. 

The next day Sid, who seems to have some knowledge about boats, offers to give Jack a hand fixing his boat. Sid also offers to skipper the ship and take Jack and Peggy on a proper honeymoon. When they get to the boat, Peggy has spruced the boat up, making it really homely. Peggy goes shopping and Sid and Jack take a look at the ship's engine (although Jack does all the work). They get the engine working and there's a big bang which knocks a returning Peggy off the gangplank into the water. Jack is in the doghouse but soon sweet-talks Peggy into agreeing to a honeymoon trip in the boat. However, they both get a surprise when Sid turns up in a hearse with his girlfriend Sandra (Liz Frazer) in tow. Sid has told Sandra, who is a stripper, that Jack's a millionaire. 

The ship eventually gets going with a few mishaps-Sandra seems a little accident-prone. The ship is traveling very fast, upsetting other boats and a fisherman with its aggressive wake. They reach a lock (which looks like Sandford) and a Thames Conservancy Officer boards the boat. He reveals he's had seven complaints in two miles-a record. Another officer tells them there were more complaints. Sid starts to get annoyed, but Sandra diffuses the situation and the officer is given a whiskey and lets them off.

They reach Holehaven but it's a bit of a dive, so they decide to go on to Ramsgate. There's a thick fog. Peggy asks where they are and the men can't say. They narrowly miss being hit by a large ship. They arrive at what they think is Ramsgate but discover it's actually Calais. To make matters worse, Sid accidentally breaks the compass. The French customs board the ship and give Jack and co 24 hours to leave. However, they've run out of fuel. Watson turns up in his ship on a party weekend. Sid and Sandra visit Watson and ask for fuel, but he chucks Sid off his ship and Sandra stays. Watson laughs at Sid telling him he has four hundred gallons of fuel. Sid and Jack decide to raid Leonard's ship and steal fuel. Sandra agrees to perform for Watson's shipmates. Jack and Sid pinch all the ship's party food and drink. There's a fight onboard and Sid rescues Sandra. They go back on board the 'Jasmine' and Peggy knocks Jack out thinking he's a robber. 

The next day they follow Watson's ship home to England. Watson sees them following and bets them they can't beat his ship back to shore. He's not very nice to O'Mally (Noel Purcell) the ship's captain, who decides to get drunk. Meanwhile, back on the Jasmine, the engine room is flooding. Jack and Sid start pumping the water out. Peggy is left steering the ship. Sandra gives Jack some of her undergarments to help fix the engine. Meanwhile, a very drunk O'Mally is starting to steer the ship erratically and believes he's left the Jasmine far behind.

I'm going to stop there so I don't ruin the end of the film for you. There are lots of elements in this film that are Carry On-esque and it's an enjoyable farce. All four of the main stars perform really well. Ian Carmichael as Jack is wonderful as the character who tries to be diplomatic and keep everything going. Janette Scott as Peggy, is the voice of reason that nobody really listens to until it's too late each time.  Sid James just glides through his role as wheeler-dealer, hotheaded Sid without any apparent effort. Finally, Liz Frazer as Sandra is a welcome addition to the cast who is positive and cheerful and turns out to be very good at getting them all out of fixes.



Thanks for reading

Matt AKA Chillichap



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