PR: The Best Pair of Legs in the Business [Network]

[Mr_Wolf]

Capitalising on his remarkable success in On the Buses, Reg Varney took on the contrasting role of a third-rate holiday camp entertainer dreaming of stardom in this mid-seventies comedy feature. Also starring fellow sitcom favourite Diana Coupland and Lee Montague, The Best Pair of Legs in the Business was adapted from an individual ITV Playhouse drama and scripted by Emmerdale Farm creator Kevin Laffan - presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its correct aspect ratio.

‘Sherry’ Sheridan, a middle-aged compère and drag artiste currently stationed at a caravan site, is low on talent but high on ambition. Convinced he just needs one decent break to launch himself into the big time, he’s relentlessly optimistic – but sadly unaware that his family life is crumbling around him. Can Sherry manage to secure both his job, and his marriage?

http://networkonair.com/shop/1762-best- ... 91140.html

[Aaron76]

That's one off my wish list. Thanks Network!
How about releasing Reg's other film Go For A Take too, although I'm guessing its not in the Studio Canal collection but in the Rank/ITV archive??

[Mark]

I thought "Go For A Take" was out, but I can't see it anywhere.

"Best Pair Of legs" is a great film, wonderfully bleak.

[Mr_Wolf]

[Mr_Wolf]

[BBvideo 560,340]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXY-EyCWi9Y[/BBvideo]

[DavidAbsalom]

"Varney: A name that immediately conjurers up hilarious entertainment"

That's not the first phrase it conjures for me.

[Mr_Wolf]

Anyone expecting On the Buses is going to be highly disappointed with this film. If, however, you approach it as a Play for Today then you'll be surprised at how effective and powerful both Varney and Diana Coupland's performances are. Certainly made me rethink him as just a low-rent gagster.

[Thwaity]

I see this film was made by Sunny Productions Limited, which has the same logo as Yorkshire TV.

I know the original drama was made by YTV in the late 1960s and features on the ON THE BUSES box set.

Was this actually Yorkshire TV, and any ideas why they called themselves Sunny Prooductions? Was it because ITV contracts couldn't make films?

Any ideas?

Steve

[groovy69]

Anyone expecting On the Buses is going to be highly disappointed with this film. If, however, you approach it as a Play for Today then you'll be surprised at how effective and powerful both Varney and Diana Coupland's performances are. Certainly made me rethink him as just a low-rent gagster.

This is why I personally hate trailers as they usually always give away the best lines of dialogue/moments in a film and can be slanted in such a way as to give completely the wrong impression. It seems with this one they picked out the half a dozen slapstick gags and played up the extra comedy element (pure padding) from the young actors in order to appeal to the On The Buses style of audience for which Reg was best known for. In fact, as you say Mr Wolf, it's actually a good dramatic performance from the leads. This sort of publicity probably killed it at the box office with the wrong audience going to see it and hating it and the right audience dismissing it after seeing the trailer.

[Thwaity]

Did anyone have any ideas about Sunny Productions? ;-)

Steve

[John Williams]

Did anyone have any ideas about Sunny Productions? ;-)

Steve

Not really but I assume like you that it was a spin-off company for film production, a bit like an early version of Black Lion for ATV. It looks as though it was a one-off company though. Was YTV based in Sunny Banks Mills in those days? If so, that's probably where the name came from.

My copy of this hasn't arrived yet. Does it say anything on the packaging about when the film was released? I know it was filmed around July 1972, but apparently it didn't get a proper London release, and weirdly IMDB (not the most reliable of sources) gives the release as 1974 based on the Swedish premiere.