Never made remakes, and Brucie Forsyth

[Jake Thingray]

An article in The Stage once in the early Noughties, by a disgruntled screenwriter/producer, explained how he'd conceived a plan for a remake of the Will Hay vehicle Oh, Mr Porter!. He was convinced Brucie would be perfect to play Hay's role, that Peter Kay should play Graham Moffatt, the fat boy sidekick, and that the wizened sidekick Moore Marriott would be incarnated by Tony Robinson, it was turned down by everyone of any significance within the British film industry, he was very angry and wondered why.

[mothman]

This could almost be a companion piece to the "who was this blockbuster made for?" thread, on shit British comedies. Run For Your Wife. Sex Lives Of The Potato Men. Parting Shots. Three And Out.

[Jake Thingray]

Stumbling across the article recently, in terms of gormless ambition I was reminded of that American who wrote his own Wayne's World sequel and tried to get it made.

[Replies From View]

that American who wrote his own Wayne's World sequel and tried to get it made.

He was so shit that he couldn't even manage that.

[Glebe]

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

I can't understand how the Will Hay remake didn't happen yet the Dads Army one did.

[biggytitbo]

They did remake Will Hay's 'Ask a Policeman' and it wasn't exactly a success.


Brucie did use to do Will Hay sketches in The Generation Game though, so I can see why some dolt might have made the connection.

[Serge]

I can't understand how the Will Hay remake didn't happen yet the Dads Army one did.

To be fair, although I'm aware of who Hay is, I don't believe I've ever seen a second of his work. I have a vague feeling that they probably used to show his stuff on BBC2 in the '70s and '80s, in the days when you might switch on and actually see old films in the daytime rather than property and antiques programmes, but for the last 20 years, he's been someone whose work you would have to actively seek out. 'Dad's Army' is still shown regularly on BBC2 at weekends, so already has a built-in following, not to mention being a well known enough name to attract actors you might like to watch. As much as practically nobody seemed to think that the resulting film would be any good, it wasn't really a risk to make it, as it'll make its money back one way or another.

[biggytitbo]

To be fair, although I'm aware of who Hay is, I don't believe I've ever seen a second of his work. I have a vague feeling that they probably used to show his stuff on BBC2 in the '70s and '80s, in the days when you might switch on and actually see old films in the daytime rather than property and antiques programmes, but for the last 20 years, he's been someone whose work you would have to actively seek out. 'Dad's Army' is still shown regularly on BBC2 at weekends, so already has a built-in following, not to mention being a well known enough name to attract actors you might like to watch. As much as practically nobody seemed to think that the resulting film would be any good, it wasn't really a risk to make it, as it'll make its money back one way or another.

A will hay remake wouldn't be based on recognition though presumably, just reusing the basic premise and characters because they are inherently funny and would make a good film.

Part of the problem with that is that Hays best films just use Private Godfreys own 'ghost train' plot that is used in every episode of Scooby Doo and countless other things, so to make a film based around that plot now would look horribly tired and derivative.

[Jake Thingray]

Glebe's screenshot from Bedknobs and Broomsticks reminds me that Brucie also made Star!, a film I love but nobody else does, in Hollywood, and Eric Morecambe once countered Ernie Wise's constant ambition to succeed there by reminding him these did nothing for Brucie's career. Ignoring moaning about those who turned him down, and his claims that Brucie accepted by fax, Robinson through his agent and C4 couldn't give him contact details for Kay, here's the gist of the article, by Paul Clark, a former Spitting Image songwriter, from The Stage issue of 19th February 2004. (I'm tempted to add, the original's depiction of the Irish could well do with a certain amount of adjustment.)

<<<I am left scouting around the British film industry – what there is left of it – for a taker. The British Film Council claims to have funds for suchlike – we shall see, in time.

Ian Thompson of the BFC told me: "Unfortunately, 'star status' in UK films does not always help a film get off the ground. More often it is the quality of the screenplay and the ability of the producer to finance a budget that is in keeping with the film's potential in the marketplace. It's always slightly a chicken and egg thing, with financiers only interested if you have stars and stars only interested if you have financing."

If that was not enough, there are copyright issues around the original script that I have yet to comprehend and men in suits ready to beat me over the head with rolled up contracts, even before we reach the 'let's have lunch to discuss it stage'.

The unbelievable thing is, here we have a proposal for a re-make of a superb film that drew 12 million people out of their homes to the movies, a film that 90% of the public under the age of 40 has not and will not see in its original, hissy, creaking, mono-sound, black and white format, yet a film that consistently rates in the top 100 movies of all time. I see why some might say, 'Leave well alone'.

But in Forsyth, Robinson and Kay we have the comic geniuses of the eighties, nineties and noughties. Filmed in 5.1 digital stereo, widescreen colour, with high production values, promoted and, yes, packaged for television, it would reach an all-new family audience.>>>

Hmmm.

[biggytitbo]

When I think comic geniuses of the 80s I immedietly think of Bruce Forsyth first. Ditto Tony Robinson as the definitive comic genius of the 90s.