Complete & Unadulterated
The Hill's Angels Years - Set 5

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1. Benny Quickies: Personnel
2. Benny's Ballad: The Gay Caballero
3. Benny Quickies: Personnel Again
4. Holiday
5. Benny Quickie: Reading in Bed
6. Sit up & Listen
7. Hill's Angels: Wild, Wild West
8. Benny Quickies: Safe Crackers/The Complete Angler
9. A Clown in Town
10. Crown Court
11. The Toughest Bloke in the Pub
12. Saucy Boy!
13. Go Kart Chase

Holiday is a TV travel show hosted by Cliff Mitchelmore (Benny), which takes a look at budget holidays. Henry McGee is John Carter and Louise English plays Anne Gregg. (Benny had previously impersonated Cliff Michelmore many times during his run with the BBC, the most recent up to this point being in the 24 Hours parody that aired on April 20, 1968 - and was featured in the "Benny & The Jests" subsection of The Lost Years video and DVD compilation. As for this sketch, Video Spotlight referred to it as "The Holiday Program." - WB). A look at budget cruises features Jane Conaway getting grabbed by Jackie Wright in a wheelchair on a cruise deck and Elfrida Ashworth getting her dress ripped off by Jackie and revealing her knickers. Next, an indepth report of an exciting seaside resort, which starts with some stock footage of nude bathers. The report looks at the Updikes, played by Jackie and Sue Upton. Louise is their maid. There is also a look at the beaches with several beauties in bikinis. Jane Conaway does her ironing and the amazing Corinne Russell gets a harpoon in the rear from Benny! Corinne also oils down another Angel who is topless. Jackie joins the the exercise program and mistakes Corinne's rear for a ball he lost. Benny (in drag), joins Jenny Lee-Wright and Corinne Russell at a five star hotel bar for a sundae and a chat. This is also Corinne Russell's only speaking part in the whole series. While talking about extra expenses Benny gets quite an eyeful as several young beauties remove their tops! Look for Benny putting the moves on Jane Conaway and striking out. Bob notices a sexy Corinne Russell in a red leather dress and also strike out! We also get quite a rear view of two lovely Angels, but the real surprise comes when Corinne and another Angel get up and we get quite a side view of Corinne's breasts. I think that Benny was really pushing the envelope with this episode and I beleive that a lot of the complaints that the series got came from the nudity. However, this one is a classic and Hill's Angels fans will be more than happy to see this on DVD.

Benny Quickie: Reading in Bed features an upset Benny wishing his wife would stop palm-reading in their bedroom. I always get a kick out of the look on Bob Todd's face as he blankly stares at his palm! (Which was called "The Fortune Teller" in Video Spotlight. - WB). Sit up & Listen is a great monologue that features Benny as Reverend John McFudpucker talking about Angus McSpreading and his legacy of poems and books. Benny reads some hilarious quips and sayings, some of which are even political. I also like that opening and closing guitar music.

With so many TV series released these days with cuts, it is a great relief to see the entire Hill's Angels: Wild, Wild West routine reproduced here. (The Video Spotlight compilation referred to this routine as "Lady Godiva." - WB). The reason this segment had been cut for so many years was due to the death of Tommy Cooper the comedian whom Louise imitates in the middle of this number. It all starts with a shot of a western frontier town and the song "Hey, Lady Godiva" setting the mood. Benny is a pan-handler who plays guitar and harmonica, until he gets a bust in the chops. His sneeze makes Sue Upton lose her undies! The sexy Corinne Russell leans over the hood of a large red car, with Cheryl Mortimer (wearing the "I'm Jo" shirt), (Which was why many Angels fans, for many years, had confused Ms. Mortimer with Jo Thomas. - WB), Jane Conaway and Jackie Wright in the vehicle. Henry McGee and Bob Todd play bandits with Benny as the Sheriff and Jackie Wright as an organ grinder. Jon Jon Keefe is the bartender. Benny announces "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Louise English and Hill's Angels". Everyone runs into the tavern and Louise steps out on stage and sings "Everyman, every woman, wants the same thing". You can spot several Angels in this number, including Jane Conaway, Gilian Adams, Nikki Critcher, Corinne Russell, Jane Leeves and Cheryl Mortimer. The Angels wear mexican hats and remove their ponchos to reveal sexy body suits. Louise performs a monologue with all of the Angels dancing and mimics several British comedians. Look for Corinne Russell opposite Nikki Critcher shaking herself pretty good in front of Louise. The Angels also bend over and give themselves "the slap" on their behinds. Then it's a showdown between Benny and Bob with several gags, but also some interesting camera effects and one involving Bob's gun that I am still not sure how it was done. The effects come fast and quick. Benny naturally wins the showdown and everyone shares a drink. At the end the "Lady Godiva" song is sung again, but faster with everyone dancing in a cirle around the saxophone playing Gorilla. Who was that in the Gorilla suit?

Benny Quickies: Safe Crackers/The Complete Angler features Bob and Jackie as two stupid safe crackers getting caught and then Benny's wife throwing away his fishing bait! (The former was called "The Safe Crackers," and the latter "The Fisherman's Bait" in Video Spotlight. Benny's wife in "The Complete Angler" a.k.a. "The Fisherman's Bait" was Jenny Lee-Wright. - WB). A Clown in Town features a Clothing Store with Benny reprising his role of the clown from the Circus Act and Mimed Striptease bits. (This was called "Clowning Around" in Video Spotlight. - WB). Sue, Henry and Jon Jon Keefe are part of the store staff. Henry measures Benny and gives him an umbrella, which accidentally lifts Cheryl Mortimers white skirt revealing her stockings! Then Benny grabs the measuring tape and measures Jenny Lee-Wright. Another scene finds Benny in the changing room next to a blond, whom has undressed to her garter belt, of which Benny grabs, thinking it's his own suspender! Benny grabs a large coat off the rack, but, with a coat hanger in it, he keeps ripping dresses off of the girls, revealing their knickers. Look for Jane Leeves, Elfrida Ashworth and another girl running around in their stockings. Benny then meets up with Louise and there is a showdown between Bob Todd, Jon Jon Keefe as gangsters and Benny. An invisible man in nothing but rubber boots is gunned down and Jackie Wright as the Doctor revives him. Louise and Benny defeat the gangsters together and the boots get a quick peek at Elfrida Ashworth as she adjusts her stockings.

Crown Court features Benny, Bob, Jon Jon Keefe, Jackie and Henry awaiting trial in the police station. Jenny Lee-Wright is the jailor. The conversation revolves around the police and the general lack of respect they have for them. Look for Kathy Staff who's brother was a Mounted Policeman. Of course they all turn out to be members of the British Court. (Video Spotlight called this one "The Police Station." - WB). The Toughest Bloke in the Pub features Bob Todd as the bully in a bar walking around intimidating everyone, until little Jackie Wright beats him!

Saucy Boy is actually all about Benny as a little boy who uses a sling shot to create mischief. (The Home Video Drive-In compilation called this bit "The Sling Shot," but left out the ending chase which followed, opting instead to go to "Big Poppa" from 03/25/81. - WB). He goes to the race track and makes a car crash, he pings an Olympic skier and knocks down an entire building! Finally, he walks into an adult club and sees "Mahala", played by the incredible Corinne Russell, doing her "daring Balloon Dance". Corinne wears almost nothing with only her balloon to cover her top. Corinne winks and blows sexy kisses at the crowd. She does some kicks and deep stretches as well as the splits, until Benny pings her with his sling shot and reveals her to be nothing but a blow up doll! Everyone in the club chases little Benny in Go Kart Chase. Look for Corinne and another girl going down a slide in slow motion and revealing their undies.

This is certainly one of the most memorable episodes of the Benny Hill Show. The program probably contained more T&A then it had ever shown before. Corinne Russell's presence in the Holiday program, as well as her famous "balloon dance" have become legendary to Benny Hill fans. Along with the "Wild, Wild, West" and you have an episode that I beleive created a lot of controversy for Benny. Sadly, it was also the last appearance of the beautiful Corinne Russell. William Brown passed along a link to TV.com which contains some interesting trivia for this episode.

Note: Besides this episode marking the end of an era in retrospect, in terms of the last big burst of "T&A" on the show, it was also the last show for Linda Finch as Hill's Angels' choreographer, as well as the last on which the end credit roll would be printed on a long sheet and run on a mechanical roller. All future shows would have the end credits set on a computer-based character generator. It also marked the final significant original contributions of Jackie Wright in the series; ill health would ensure that for the next two years, all sketches and quickies featuring him would be previously unaired archive footage, though he did appear in the pre-taped quickies that were made for the 1984 series. WB).

1. Benny Quickies: Confusion
2. Benny's Ballad: Home for the Summer
3. Scuttlevision
4. The Drunk
5. Stupid Cupid
6. Club Bizarre
7. Fingers McNee: Bank Robber
8. Benny Quickies: Close Down and Fall Down!
9. On the Beach
10. Beach Chase (not in the menu)

Stupid Cupid features Benny as the mythical cupid in the clouds who shoots arrows to make people fall in love. First it's Louise English and Ken Sedd, followed by two actors I don't recognize. Then it's Bob Todd and an unknown girl as members of the church who get an arrow. Then Henry McGee gets an arrow so he will fall in love with Debi Gaye but he chases after Jon Jon Keefe instead. Then it's Jackie Wright and a redhead that resembles Abigail Higgins, with Jackie getting a special arrow and he chases after her. Finally, Benny gets the last girl himself, since her guy was only interested in his muscles. (In this piece, called "Cupid's Arrow" in Golden Laughs, David Prowse (last seen as the muscleman in the opening "Ye Olde Wishing Well" quickie from Benny's first Thames special of 11/19/69) plays the strongman who "gets it" in the end. WB).

Club Bizarre is an extended segment and it does include some Hill's Angels. It takes place in a German cabaret with Benny as the Master of Ceremonies. We enter the disco and Debi Gaye is the hat check girl and Len Keyes drops some cold coins down her front! (Lisa Mulidore appeared as the doorperson outside the entrance. - WB). Benny also puts the moves on several girls and almost scores with Jenny Lee-Wright. Len Keyes is a sword swallower and Bob Todd is Mr. Memory, who forgets his pants. Did Benny watch Hitchcock's "39 Steps" for this idea? Then it's Erica dancing to a song sung by Jon Jon Keefe. Sue and another girl in maids uniforms help her into a tub. Then the tub turns around with Louise and Erica, reveling it to be a couch and they sing "Dumkopf Men". Then the "Dolly Fins" are actually the chins of Benny, Jon Jon and an unknown actor with their chins turned upside down and painted to look like dolphins. (The "unknown" actor here is Bogdan Kominowski. - WB). Then it's Erica Lynley, (I believe) in a green German uniform and tights playing around with a globe. Finally, Benny introduces "Hill's Angels" with Louise leading them in a song called "Milord". (Erica Lynley wears the light-colored bowler hat and bow tie, Lisa Mulidore is wearing a sequined Nazi helmet, Lesley Woods is in gold, Noreen Bothen in blue and Tracy Smith is wearing green. Only the other Angel - the dark-haired girl, wearing a pink hat and top with pink at the bottom - is a mystery. - WB). It's actually a rousing number and Louise is certainly magnetic. It's easy to see that Louise would one day become a star of the British stage. The angels wear colorful costumes and dance around chairs.

Fingers McNee: Bank Robber is another silent segment and features Benny as a bank robber with his cohorts, played by Sue Upton and Debi Gaye. Abigail Higgins makes an uncredited appearance as a bank teller. Benny pulls a gun on Bob Todd in drag but the trio gets spotted by a surveilance camera. Bob Todd is the chief of police who is out to catch the crooks, along with Louise English, Henry McGee and two others as his squad. Immediately Benny is caught and placed in a cell with the gay Jon Jon Keefe. Sue and Debi Gaye help Benny escape and they plan their next bank robbery. Look for Debi Gaye exposing some leg to a security guard, distracting him so Benny can grab some of the loot. Sue is confronted by Bob Todd, but Debi Gaye flashes him and kicks him in the groin. Benny steals an ice cream truck from Jon Jon Keefe and makes his getaway. The police think they have Benny surrounded finally, but instead he is enjoying himself poolside with beautiful girls in bikinis. Not the greatest sketch, but there is a good gag with Sue getting her hand caught in an old fashioned clothes press.

There are two shorts in Benny Quickies: Close Down and Fall Down! which comes up at the end of the Finger McNee sketch with Jenny Lee-Wright and her date watching Benny end the programming day. Benny however, can see them from inside the TV while they are necking! The other quickie features Bob Todd stumbling into the bar to ask Jenny Lee-Wright if he had bought everyone drinks the night before. I am not really sure about the joke in that one. (In the previous Golden Laughs incarnation, the former was called "Behind the Scenes" and the latter was called "Last Night" - which looked like it was taped in the same session that yielded "The Toughest Bloke in the Pub" quickie from the prior show, if judging from Jenny Lee-Wright's attire and the set. - WB).

Finally, On the Beach features Benny talking a walk on the beach, but his luck with the women is all bad. He gets banged around by the girls until he meets a pretty one who invites him to sit at her table. She leaves Benny to watch her little girl. The girl drinks Benny's beer and embarasses him in front of Louise in a bikini by letting the air out of her balloon with the trademark farting sound. Benny also manages to talk to a pretty blonde girl, until the kid throws a doughnut in his face. Finally, he is bullied by Bob Todd and accidentally walks in on Louise as she is changing and this leads into the Beach Chase. At the end they all take a ride on a merry-go round. (In this bit, called "At the Beach" in Golden Laughs, the "pretty one" was Jenny Westbrook - and the little girl was her real-life daughter, Jade Westbrook. The pretty blonde to whom Benny talks is Lindsay Neil. - WB).

The previous episode of the Benny Hill Show must have caused a great deal of trouble for Benny and this program seems to mark the beginning of changes for the Benny Hill Show. Benny decided to take the show in a new direction. The element of bringing the kids into the series was, I think, another way for Benny to make the show more acceptable to prime time viewers and the On The Beach segment here is the beginning of the Little Angels that would become a dominant part of the series.

1. Benny Quickies: Man Inspired!
2. Benny's Ballad: The League of Helping Hands
3. Benny Quickie: Bedside Manner!
   Benny Quickie: Just Married
4. The Vagabond
5. Benny Quickies: Man Inspired 2!
6. Hill's Angel Aerobatics
7. The Human Body
8. Benny Quickie: Bedside Manner 2!
9. The Boys are Back in Town!
10. Benny Quickie: Chicken and the Egg
11. Benny Quickies: Keep It Up!
12. The Hot Shoe Show
13. Two Minutes Under
14. St. John Thomas Hospital Opening
15. Hospital Chase (not in the menu)

One of the better sketches in this episode is The Vagabond which features Louise, Erica and several other girls singing the opening tune. It's all about Benny as a man living on the street. First he spots a wallet and tries to steal it without a dog biting him, only to find no money in it. Louise also plays a street urchin that Benny bothers for a drink from her bottle. Benny gets frisked by Henry McGee, but just watch when Bob Todd gets frisked. Benny uses some newspapers to keep warm. Look at him flip a copy of "The Sun" to page three and place it in his pants! There is also a good gag with Benny moving a wet paint sign from a park bench and a blonde getting green paint on her dress. Benny spends the night in a hostile. Watch Jackie Wright put down several beers before getting into the bunk over Benny! The next day Benny walks by a hospital and picks up a contagious disease. Unfortunately, there is a small cut at the end of this sketch which features a chase scene.

Benny Quickies: Man Inspired 2! features Benny watching his TV with Louise singing "Every Man Every Woman wants the same thing", but the picture is upside down. Benny gets help from repairman Jon Jon Keefe. Then Jane Leeves gets a special present from Arab Henry McGee. (Previously known as "Technical Difficulties" and "The Gift," respectively. - WB). Hill's Angel Aerobatics features several new Angels in an aerobics gym. It starts with several shots of girls in their stockings and bras, including, Sue Upton, Erica Lynley, an Unknown and Noreen Bothen. They dance and exercise to "Higher In The Night". Benny makes only a small appearance in this one with some of the girls sitting on his face. Len Keyes gets help exercising from Sue and another girl. Jon Jon Keefe uses the punching bag. The best parts are the girls on the Jungle Jim and the girls dancing in the shower together. This is not one of the best Angels routines, but it has it's moments. (Also known, per the previous release, as "The Work-Out." - WB). Benny then steps out in a lab coat in The Human Body, talking about how people joke about the human body and what would happen if our body parts were switched around. (The prior DVD issue named this one "The Anatomy Professor." - WB). This is actually pretty fun and one of the better moments in this episode. There is also a sexy appearance from Fiona Sloman in a short skirt with seamed stockings giving us a friendly view.

Benny Quickie: Bedside Manner 2! features Benny and his wife, Erica Lynley who wakes him up with something important to tell him. Erica is actually pretty good in this one and it's pretty funny. (Formerly titled "Wake Up!" - WB). Next, The Boys Are Back In Town! features Benny, Bob, Henry, Jon Jon Keefe, Len Keyes and an unknown actor as street toughs who try to put the moves on the ladies, only to get beaten up by them! It's cute and pretty funny in places, especially when one guy gets his teeth knocked out. (The "unknown actor" is Andrew Francis - who's the one who gets it in the teeth. And besides playing one of the toughs, Mr. Keefe is also the lead singer, the song in question originally made famous in 1976 by rock group "Thin Lizzy." - WB). I think that Benny wrote this one in the hopes to appease viewers who were upset with the show. At the end Sue comes out and kicks all of the men when their down and I think that might have been going overboard a little bit. Benny Quickie: Chicken and the Egg features Benny the Clown with a chicken shooting it's egg through a hoop and onto an egg cup! Benny Quickies: Keep It Up! starts with Jackie Wright as an overworked employee needing some assistance from Bob and Jon Jon. Benny is the boss with Jane Leeves as his secretary. This was obviously made for a previous show and used here. Then, Sue Upton lies in bed when husband Bob Todd walks in and hears someone praying! (The "someone praying" is Len Keyes. - WB). Then it's Benny with the lovely Jane Leeves watching a movie in the dark with music she finds so scary she raises her skirt. Naturally, Benny helps by turning up the music! Listen for Benny's french accent! (The Golden issue indexed these ones as "Overworking," "Three's A Crowd" and "Scary Movie," respectively. - WB).

Next, it's an unusual sketch in The Hot Shoe Show. (This was a parody of an early 1980's dance and comedy show of the same name. Why Golden Sniggers called this one "Song and Dance" is anyone's guess. The real Wayne Sleep looked nothing like Len Keyes' impression. - WB). Len Keyes is Wayne Sleep, the host. The first gag features Erica Lynley stuffing her bra with a box of kleenex. Louise then does a ballett number with Benny. Then Henry McGee gives Benny a lesson in reciting Shakespeare, but Benny's just too much of a poofter. Louise English and Erica Lynley sing "Primavera" with Benny playing the fool. Next, Benny steps out to the audience and finds out that the show is Two Minutes Under. He finally talks about how he gets blamed for everything that happens on the show, including the girls in their skimpy clothes. He even jokes about director Dennis Kirkland. (The prior set to feature this episode called this one "Two Minutes." - WB).

Finally, it's the St. John Thomas Hospital Opening which takes place at the hospital entrance and starts with the ribbon cutting by an unknown woman. (Abigail Higgins plays "Lady Shaver" in this routine which was just called "The Hospital" in Golden Sniggers. - WB). Bob Todd is head nurse. We go inside the ward for a look at a day at the hospital. Watch for the nurse bending over to pick up some medical instruments and the response from the guys! She really resembles Alison Bell. Jackie only gets interested when Jon Jon Keefe bends over. Karan David uses some Karate to remove a cast on Henry's leg. Louise and Karan use a trumpet to wake up Benny! Watch Dr. Benny use various disguises to get a sponge bath from the blond nurse! In the end, Bob Todd discovers he's supposed to be the doctor, but he's only a painter and we get the standard chase. The final chapter begins at the credits , Hospital Chase, (not in the menu). (With a gag involving Benny plucking a hair from a projection gate - a gag which had been featured in the 1952 MGM cartoon Magical Maestro, directed by legendary cartoon director Tex Avery. - WB).

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