Complete & Unadulterated
The Naughty Early Years - Set 2

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Volume 3
(Episodes 9-10)

Benny and Diana Darvey in Baby Boy from Film Time Director Sam Speiler

Jump to an Episode: 9 10 Summary

This is the second collection of programs from the Benny Hill Show that A&E have released. This time you'll see ten programs spread over three DVD's, as opposed to the 11 that covered the years 1969-1971 in the first set. These ten programs are from 1972-1974 and I have made the reviews fairly short for each program with simple descriptions and comments for each sketch. You'll find the reviews divided into three pages, one for each Volume of this set. I've also taken the liberty to mention a few highlights at the beginning of each review. Look for technical details and closing comments at the end of page three, as well as a review of the bonus features. You'll find the original Episode number in brackets at the beginning of each review. Enjoy.

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Episode 9 (20)

(Feb. 7, 1974)

Color [48:36]

Benny Quickie: Romantic Pipe-Smoker
"Faith" by E.M. Barrister
Senor Benny Presents Diana Darvey and El Sidney: Sway
Spy Games
Benny Quickie: Three Beans on Toast!
Design: Second Love
Film Time: Director Sam Speiler
Benny Quickies: Courting
The Minstrel Boy
Mr. TV Times
Closing: TV Times Chase (not in the menu)

Cast: Benny Hill, Henry McGee, Bob Todd, Lesley Goldie, Diana Darvey, Design, David Hamilton, Cheryl Gilham, Jack Wright, Bella Emberg, Jim Tyson, Jon Jon Keefe, Claire Russell.

Produced and Directed by: John Robins

Highlights: Senor Benny Presents Diana Darvey and El Sidney: Sway; Spy Games; Film Time: Director Sam Speiler (includes "Baby Boy"); The Minstrel Boy.

This time around we start off with the very funny Benny Quickie: Romantic Pipe-Smoker which is actually a tobacco commercial. Benny is smoking a pipe on a date with Cheryl Gilham, but the funny part is when she grabs the pipe and says "that's my fravorite!" Henry McGee introduces Benny who recites a poem called "Faith" by E.M. Barrister which is hilarious.

Then, Benny introduces the lovely Diana Darvey who has a short chat with Benny and sings in Senor Benny Presents Diana Darvey and El Sidney: Sway with Diana dressed in an incredible blue dress with Benny accompanying her on bongos. Diana was one of the truly great women who appeared on the show and she had an indescribable charm and beauty. A truly wonderful entertainer. Diana shows off her backless dress and Benny provides the jokes. With Benny and Diana, it seems like they had know each other for years, yet this is her first appearance on the show.

In Spy Games, Benny plays Mervyn Cruddy, Spy Catcher and Henry McGee is his superior. His job is to retrieve some important microfilm from Bob Todd, which he keeps in a snuff box. We think his assistant will be the lovely Diana Darvey, but instead he just gets Jackie Wright. They chase Bob and Lesley Goldie (this is her last appearance on the show) around in a park cafe and on a cruise ship. Look for Cheryl Gilham as the sexy secretary. There is some great trick photography, funny music and a sexy shot of Lesley Goldie in her knickers. A great segment.

Benny Quickie: Three Beans on Toast! features Benny as a Spaniard getting exactly what he ordered! Benny then introduces Design: Second Love. This is a light pop group which is probably the equivalent of The Partridge Family in the UK or "The New Seekers". The song is certainly easy on the ears and there is definitely an innocence in this music that is missing today. The director helps to keep this segment interesting with lots of nice camera work. But woah, watch out for the long hair! Another fascinating time capsule.

Lesley Goldie plays the interviewer to Benny in Film Time: Director Sam Speiler. Benny plays the loud, sexist, boisterous, conceited American Film Director who also lets his homosexual side peek through. We get a film clip from the director's film "Lulubelle", with Benny paying tribute to W. C. Fields with an excellent impersonation of the American Comedian. There is also a great portrayal of Mae West by Cheryl Gilham. Next up, a clip of the film "Baby Boy" with Benny as a grown man who still acts like he's six years old, sitting in bed, playing with several silly items: blowing apart matchboxes, sticking pieces of paper to his nose, blowing straws, etc. As my brother would say, "He's got arrested development written all over him". He is visited by his fiancee, Lucy, played by Diana Darvey. Somehow, Lucy is in love with him, even though he's 19 years old! He's a man who refuses to grow up, but she shows him what "grown up" means. A truly memorable moment from The Benny Hill Show.

In Benny Quickies: Courting we start off with a scene in a Marriage Advice Bureau and Benny courting Bob Todd's daughter as southerners. Next is The Minstrel Boy with Benny who becomes a successful Minstrel with the help of Henry McGee as his manager. Check out that nose, eh? Look for Diana Darvey as the sexy waitress, Meg. You'll also see Cheryl Gilham in this sketch. Musical guests Design provide musical narration. Henry grooms him for success and he finally hits the big time. Look for Benny pre-dating Austin Powers by over 10 years with the same fake hairy chest! Mr. TV Times is a great send-up of female beauty contests with Benny winning a male beauty contest, complete with costume changes, speeches about changing the world, the crying and that special walk when the winner is crowned. Cheryl Gilham and Diana Darvey are part of the judging panel. When its revealed the contest is fixed, the other contestants chase Benny in Closing Sequence: TV Times Chase (not in the menu). A wonderful program and probably the best in this collection.

Episode 10 (21)

(Mar. 13, 1974)

Color [48:53]

Benny Quickie: A Little Boy?
Benny's Musical Sermon: The Good Book
Benny's International Bloopers
Fred Scuttle: Scuttle Escorts
Benny Quickie: You Say Hawaii!
Match of the Week: Golden Goalies and Their Silver Saves
Judith Durham and the Hottest Band in Town: Strut Your Stuff
Coalpits
The Ladybirds: Yesterday Once More
Benny Quickie: Hooch
The Short and Unhappy Romance of Ted Tingle
Benny Quickie: Hooch II
Mexican Medley
Closing: Spanish Guitarist (not in the menu)

Cast: Benny Hill, Nicholas Parsons, Bob Todd, Jerrold Wels, Diana Darvey, Jack Wright, The Ladybirds, Bella Emberg, Malou Cartwright, John John Keeffe, Jim Tyson, Guillermo Basilisco, Claire Russell, Brian Nolan, Jeannie Collings, Zoe Hendry, Len Keyes, Bob Bauld, Kevin Moran, Stephen Kane, Jo Peters, Special Guests: Judith Durham and The Hottest Band In Town.

Directed by: Mark Stuart

Highlights: Mexican Medley, Match of the Week: Golden Goalies and Their Silver Saves, Fred Scuttle: Scuttle Escorts, The Short and Unhappy Romance of Ted Tingle.

We start off with Benny (& Bella Emberg) as a new father in Benny Quickie: A Little Boy?, then we go straight to Benny's Musical Sermon: The Good Book with Benny giving a sermon as only he can. Notice Diana Darvey, Jackie Wright, The Ladybirds and Bob Todd in the choir behind him. Plenty of good gags in this one. Benny then introduces Benny's International Bloopers which features a runner of a german cooking show with Benny as the cooking hostess in drag and Bob Todd as her increasingly sloshed assistant; Benny and Diana Darvey dance into an unpainted pole and then we have a look at the Hallo Hair Studio, with the model played by Malou Cartwright.

Nicholas Parsons returns to the show for an interview with Mr. Scuttle in Fred Scuttle: Scuttle Escorts. Scuttle reveals all about his male and female models, as well as bringing them out for Nicholas Parsons to look at and chose from one of the ladies. The male models are Bob, Jackie & Jerrold Wells. The female escorts are Diana Darvey (green gown), Jeannie Collings (yellow gown), Zoe Hendry (pink gown), Malou Cartwright (sequined low-cut dress) & Bella Emberg as the large one. Unfortunately, he winds up with Scuttle's wife. A great memory from the series. Benny Quickie: You Say Hawaii! is a short gag with Benny and Bella Emberg arguing how to say Hawaii. You'll see Diana Darvey go by quickly in this one.

Match of the Week: Golden Goalies and Their Silver Saves is hosted by Benny (with a squeezed lens to make him look thinner), with footage of Ginger Tomkins, Hugh Jarse, Willie Groper and Walter Guy, all played by Benny. For the second time, Benny is impersonating British sports commentator Jimmy Hill, as he had on The Holiday Sports Spectacular Sketch, from Episode 2, Set 1. There is plenty of great gags in this one and some great trick photography. There is also a great gag with Diana Darvey pouring Benny (as the reporter) some champagne and her in a leotard and black stockings! Jackie Wright presents Ginger Tomkins with a special trophy (along with Diana Darvey & Malou Cartwright in sexy leotards!). The next chapter starts with Benny as Zeke and a young man wanting to marry his daughter before we have the usual musical guest.

This time we have a dixieland jazz band performance in Judith Durham and the Hottest Band in Town: Strut Your Stuff. She was once the lead singer for "The Seekers" (of "I'll Never Find Another You" & "Georgy Girl" fame). This chapter ends with Benny as the guard in a Spanish prison, but the joke is on him! Coalpits features Benny as the leader of a group of prisoner at Coalpits Castle, captured by the British with Nicholas Parsons as the warden. Benny and the men plan their escape but things don't work out so well. If you slow frame your DVD player at the end of this sketch, you will see an individual frame of an ad bumper for this show. This chapter ends with an item not in the menu as Benny attempts to persuade Malou Cartwright not to leave him.

The Ladybirds: Yesterday Once More is just about the best musical number they ever did on the show and one always gets a real sense of nostalgia when hearing this tune made popular by The Carpenters. This also marks their last appearance on The Benny Hill Show. Benny Quickie: Hooch features Benny as Zeke once more with his idiot son. These little bits are always great. The Short and Unhappy Romance of Ted Tingle is another of those classic "silent" sketches, this time Benny plays the young man chasing down the woman of his dreams after saving her from killing herself. There is plenty of that funny sped-up music and fast photography with lots of slapstick thrown in for good measure. Benny Quickie: Hooch II is another hilarious short as Benny plays Abner and a good method for ignoring his wife.

Finally, we're treated to the Mexican Medley featuring the lovely Diana Darvey singing "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas" and wearing an incredible dress that reveals each side of her torso, as well as her legs. Diana gets accompaniment by Benny and Jackie and gives all of her attentions to Jackie with Benny impotently trying to get some too. Benny and Diana then sing a classic duet with Diana trying to keep a straight face. Benny also brought professional flamenco guitarist Guillermo Basilisco who does some pretty amazing playing. Jackie Wright does an incredibly funny vocalisation with Benny providing the translations for us. Then Benny sings and Diana Darvey does a fantastic Spanish Dance. The Ladybirds provide some incredible backup vocals and this is a very exciting ending to this excellent episode and to this DVD collection. This show is also the last appearance for Nicholas Parsons and Jim Tyson. Tyson died six months after this show first aired. Jon Jon Keefe never appeared again until 1982.

Summary

Once again A&E have done an excellent job of presenting The Benny Hill Show on DVD. As with the first collection (1969-1971), there are three DVD's presenting complete and uncut shows. With this set, we see the usual characters Benny did like Mr. Scuttle and Chow Mein and there are plenty of interesting musical guests. Benny continued to lampoon everything including films, commercials, TV shows and famous actors and personalities. Notable sketches in this collection include: Fad Eyed Fal, Woodstick, Jackie Wright's Holiday, Fun At The Flicks, The Deputy, Film Time: Director Sam Speiler and many other memorable moments. Bob Todd, Jackie Wright and Henry McGee started to become major players in the series more and more and we also see the introduction of the late Diana Darvey who always brought a warm and charming personality along with incredible talent to the series. There are plenty of great laughs in this collection and even if not every sketch is a winner, there is still a great deal of entertainment value. Benny of course continued to use some formulas again and again, but most of the time he was always able to make us laugh or smile with that knowing look he would always give. Whenever he laughed or cast members laughed, we laughed along with them.

Picture

I can't say enough about the great picture quality in this set. It is actually superior to the first collection. Indoor sequences continued to be shot on video tape and the picture is very good. I am impressed with the sharpness and lack of dirt and noise. These are very clean transfers and the black levels are very deep. Reds do not seem to suffer at all from any bleeding and if you are watching this on your TV through component video you will get very good results. There are of course the outdoors sequences which were filmed and these do tend to look softer and less sharp without the same level of saturation, but even these look better than they did on the first set. Very good overall.

Audio

The Audio in this collection also scores well, although it is definitely limited by the technology of the times. Dialogue is always clear and sharp and even if the dynamic range isn't as wide as TV shows today, the sound has very little distortion to speak of. Very good.

Bonus Features

As with the first collection from A&E, there is just the documentary and a trivia quiz. This documentary is perhaps even better than the previous one with a more personal point of view on the life of Benny Hill.

Benny Hill: Laughter and Controversy

2001 [45:14]

Richard Stone, Benny's Agent

Richard Stone,
Benny's Agent

"He really knew what he wanted to do; he was a master, a genius."

Henry McGee

Henry McGee,
actor

"The work had always devoured him really and that's what he was, his work."

Sue Upton

Sue Upton,
actress

"He did achieve his ambition, but what a price he had to pay for it, because at the end of the day, he gave up everything and everybody for his stardom."

This documentary on the life of Benny Hill is hosted by Peter Graves. It is a fascinating and sometimes sad tale of one of the world's most beloved comedians. It's told through the eyes and memories of those who knew Benny best, including Richard Stone (Benny's agent), Henry McGee, Louise English, Sue Upton, Dennis Kirkland, Dave Freeman (a friend and colleague), Kenneth Ball (school friend) and Don Taffner.

Dave Freeman

Dave Freeman,
friend

The program begins with a look at Benny's early life as a lad growing up in Southampton. He was born Alfred Hawthorne Hill and was the son of Alfred and Helen Hill. Benny had an older brother Leonard and a younger sister Diane. Benny knew that he wanted to be in show business from a young age and even learned to play guitar and tell jokes from early on.

Reg Varney

Reg Varney,
comedian

His dream was to be a comedian telling jokes and making the audience laugh and being surrounded by lots of beautiful girls. His first jobs were delivering milk and working at a local Woolworth's dept. store. He eventually went to London and worked with Reg Varney and spent several years working and living with Dave Freeman. Although unsuccessful as a solo act, it was when he started working for the BBC that he discovered that TV was the place for him. He moved from the BBC to Thames Television in 1969 and the most successful years of his career began there. He worked for Thames Television for 20 years until he was unceremonially sacked in 1989.

Kenneth Ball

Kenneth Ball,
school friend

There are many people in this documentary who knew Benny Hill away from the camera as a shy, retiring person who did not like the trappings of show biz success. He lived alone and had few relationships with women, although he did try. He did spend time with a woman who had cerebral palsy who said: "The rest of the world got Benny Hill; I got the gentleman, Alfred Hawthorne Hill."

Those who worked with Benny also relate their memories. Dennis Kirkland talks about his work habits and Henry McGee talks about his inability to control his eating and his obsession with his work. Louise English tells how Benny could only work in front of those he knew and how people believed that he was this lecherous old man until they actually met him and saw him for the gentlemen he was. Sue Upton talks about Benny spending a week with her and her children each summer. Benny would have the chance to be a family man, an opportunity he never would have had otherwise.

Dennis Kirkland

Dennis Kirkland,
director

After several years of success, Dennis Kirkland tells us of the day Benny was sacked from Thames. The effect was devastating. Sue Upton also notes that the effect actually destroyed part of him. It was at this point that he began to put on weight.

Don Taffner

Don Taffner,
producer

Don Taffner helped Benny put together a new series, but it only became a onetime special. By this time Benny had been eating and drinking for two years unchecked. He had a heart attack and was hospitalized with breathing complications. Louise English went to visit him, even though he didn't want anyone to see him.

Benny and Louise English

Benny &
Louise English

Benny then went to see Louise in a west-end play and Louise tells us of her final time seeing him.

Louise English

"He came to see the matinee and I remember his face looking up at me and he had little tears...and, uh... and then he came to the dressing room afterwards.. and he stayed and he stayed and he wouldn't go, he just wouldn't leave and he kept sort of mentioning lovely things to me...and, uh... very sensitive things... it was almost like he knew."

It was Dennis Kirkland who discovered Benny in his apartment after three days of not being able to reach him. He was 68 and was famous all over the world. Like his hero Charlie Chaplin, he remains a legend in Comedy. A&E have really created a remarkable tribute to this legend of comedy and this is one documentary all fans of Benny Hill must see.

The Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz

As with the first set, we are treated to another Benny Hill Cheeky Challenge Trivia Quiz. Still images accompany each question. The questions are multiple choice. After you select your answer you get to see one of various short clips used to congratulate you or tell you that you are wrong. There are fifteen questions in all.

Packaging

The packaging on this second set follows the first set with the cardboard case, a small insert booklet and each DVD in its own thin case. The big difference is in the improvement made to each case that holds the disc. The first set made taking the discs out very difficult without bending the disc. This could damage the disc if not done carefully. This time the packaging makes it very easy to remove the disc. Many thanks to the makers of this new packaging, NewVideo. A fine job and keep up the good work.

Menus

As with the first set, there are animated menus on this disc which show several clips while Yakkety Sax plays on your speakers. You can access every sketch instantly from the menus. And as with the first set, they do not include a "link" to the closing segments of the show, which actually adds another chapter to each program. As with my review of the first set, I have indicated that the last chapter for each program is not embedded in the menus. Menus have lots of stills put together in a "collage" effect while you view the list of chapters. Again, very nicely done.

Close

It is very satisfying to see this series being released like this on DVD. NewVideo and A&E have been very responsive to fans and it looks like the entire series may eventually make it's way to your DVD player. I would however hope that more bonus features will be coming out on upcoming sets to include members of the cast like Henry McGee and Nicholas Parsons as well as bonuses featuring Hill's Angels. Audio commentaries by Sue Upton and Louise English would be great during the Hill's Angels segments and Dennis Kirkland and Henry McGee could review many other parts of the series. Again, this is a great collection of shows and we see Benny still developing his show and creating some of the greatest comic moments ever seen on TV. When I am alerted again about the next DVD collection, you can always get that info on the Site Map Page. I will also be reviewing that collection, too.

Star Ratings (out of 5)

Audio: *** 1/2
Video: ****
Extras: ** 1/2
Programs: **** 1/2
Overall: **** 1/2