Privates on Parade

Dir: Michael Blakemore

1983

****

Michael Blakemore's adaptation of Peter Nichols farcical play about the fictional military entertainment group, the 'Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia' (or SADUSEA for short) assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan jungle during the Malayan Emergency just after World War II, is a Handmade Film production classic and something of an overlooked gem. The special unit is led by Maj. Giles Flack (played by John Cleese in one of his most overlooked performances) who yearns to be back on the front lines again, playing his part in the war effort in the name of God the almighty. He seems completely oblivious to the fact that most of his crew are homosexual and are in relationships with each other. His strong military rhetoric and woeful naivety are a stark contrast to the persona of the units Captain, Capt. Terri Dennis. Played by the great Denis Quilley, Capt. Terri Dennis (based on real life comedian, performer and drag-queen Barri Chatt) is over the top, a born performer and fiercely protective of his all singing, all dancing troop of misfits - all of whom are given ladies names. However, their Sgt. Maj. Reg Drummond (played by Michael Elphick) has other ideas and sees the unit as a great cover for his underhand arms dealing. It's brilliant at highlighting the naivety of war and that there was life beyond it. Based on Nichols's time in Singapore in his own army entertainment troupe, many of the characters were written with his fellow soldiers in mind including British comedy legends-to be; Stanley Baxter and Kenneth Williams. The play is noteworthy for its series of musical numbers, all performed by the male lead, parodying the style of such performers as Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Carmen Miranda. It's a camp comedy with a sharp sword of sorrow in its side. It's joyful but also rather tragic but its 'the show must go on' attitude puts everything into perspective, in all aspects of the overall story. The troop is made up of some of the best of 60s/70s British television, including Joe Melia and one of my personal favourites Simon Jones. It's directed very well and you'd never guess that you were watching solders dancing in sunny Shepperton Studios, rather than in the 1947 jungles of Malaya. Although the budget is clearly not that big, there is something about it that goes beyond money constraints or production values. It's got that certain something that makes a film special, to be honest most of Handmade Film productions have it. Not all of them were well received when released but looking back at them now they're nearly all masterpieces of low-budget British cinema.