1983 British film
| Privates on Parade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Michael Blakemore |
| Written by | Peter Nichols (play) |
| Starring | John Cleese David Bamber Denis Quilley Bruce Payne |
| Cinematography | Ian Wilson |
| Edited by | Jim Clark |
| Music by | Denis King |
| Production companies | HandMade Films Orion Classics |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | under £2 million |
Privates on Parade is a 1983 film adaptation of the Peter Nichols play of the same name about a fictional – and mostly gay – military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit South East Asia (SADUSEA)" assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan jungle during the Malayan Emergency.
Cast and characters
- John Cleese – Maj. Giles Flack
- Denis Quilley – Capt. Terri Dennis
- Nicola Pagett – Sylvia Morgan
- Patrick Pearson – Sgt. Steven Flowers
- Michael Elphick – Sgt. Maj. Reg Drummond
- David Bamber – Sgt. Charles Bishop
- Bruce Payne – Flight Sgt. Kevin Cartwright
- Tim Barlow – Commanding Officer
- Ishaq Bux – Sikh Doorman
- Steve Dixon – Drummer
- David Griffin – Infantry Officer in the Bush
- Peter Hutchinson – Trumpet Player
- Jasper Jacob – Bass Player
- Simon Jones – Sgt. Eric Young-Love
- Brigitte Kahn – Mrs. Reg Drummond
- Robin Langford – Electrician
- Joe Melia – Sgt. Len Bonny
- William Parker – Armed Escort
- Neil Pearson – Band Pianist
- John Quayle – Capt. Henry Cox
- Julian Sands – Sailor
- John Standing – Capt. Sholto Savory
- Philip Tan – Lee
- Vincent Wong – Cheng
Reception
One critic stated that Privates on Parade was 'better suited to the theatre'. Derek Winnert stated that 'there are some good jokes and songs, but Privates on Parade is sometimes a bit dodgy and dated, and the lurch into serious drama at the end works no better on film than it did on stage'. Vincent Canby described the film as 'fine, witty, extremely self-assured something seldom seen in movies-a melodramatic farce that comes complete with songs, dances, lewd jokes, sudden death, teary sentiment and smashing performances'.
References
- Robert Sellers, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The Inside Story of HandMade Films, Metro 2003, pp. 121–131
- Sandra Brennan (2009). "Privates on Parade". All Movie Guide. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- "Privates on Parade". cgiii.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- Winnert, Derek (18 July 2018). "Privates on Parade *** (1982, John Cleese, Denis Quilley, Michael Elphick, Nicola Pagett, Bruce Payne, Joe Melia) – Classic Movie Review 7306". derekwinnert.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- Canby, Vincent (22 April 1984). "Privates on Parade". The New York Times. p. G19.
External links
| HandMade Films | |
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| Films |
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| Television |
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