Why has vulgar comedy been critically undervalued and what is its importance to British Film and TV?

The British sex film has often been blamed for 'a tidal wave of filth' (McGillivray, p.15, 1992) within the British film industry, whilst simultaneously being one of the most lucrative genres the industry has ever known. Indeed, David McGillivray notes that the 'most devastating downswing in British film production coincided with the cessation of the sex film business at the end of the Seventies.' (McGillivray, p.15, 1992). Even though he was involved in the writing of sex films, he comments in his book Doing Rude Things, that these films were not classical works. 'Other countries may have produced classics of movie erotica; Britain hasn't.' Instead he suggests that their only value was in their role as a 'social phenomenon'. The reaction of the British public to the films supports this idea in that, although we, as a nation, are renowned for our prudishness, many people flocked to the cinema to view them. This was probably out of curiosity initially, but this does not a!

Sex was not really talked about in public, as many peopl

Jeffery Weeks, Sex, Politics and Society, Longman, 1981

I have already mentioned the shift in moral standards that took place in the Sixties and Seventies, but I think that the fear of social decline was one of the fundamental causes of such critical disdain for vulgar comedy. As Margaret Hinxman complained in her review in the Daily Mail 'It's a pity that the Mrs. Whitehouses are too busy bashing serious permissive films... to bother with this kind of seedy rubbish'. Suggesting perhaps, that it wasn't necessarily the nudity which was offensive but the way in which it was used in comedy films to amuse audiences. However, David McGillivray opines that it was actually this element that contributed to the popularity of sex comedies. He says of Harrison Marks' films '...the depiction of sex as little more than an asexual prank was, ...what made his films so popular.' (McGillivray, p.44, 1992). Harrison Marks himself infamously said that he was 'bored by sex', and he claimed that his only reason for making vulgar comedy films was the ge!

Music hall was a contributing influence in the rise of vulgar comedy, particularly on the television. Most of the early comedy shows on television were in the form of variety, later developing in series such as Val Purnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and it was from these programmes that popular stars like Morecombe and Wise emerged. People like these became national icons and are considered by many to be a part of the British culture. Whereas the music hall was the quintessential British entertainment of the 1930's, 40's and 50's, so their progression onto television and cinema screens, alongside the emergence of their regular actors in this more modern medium was a way of continuing the traditions from the stage.

I think that many critics thought that films like the Carry On series were not worthy of critical acclaim because they were not 'artistic' enough and the fact that there were over thirty made proved that they were part of a 'film factory' which was not interested in developing a 'quality' film style. They cost very little to make and typically topped box office charts, which would imply that they were made purely for monetary gain (as indeed, many films are) and was therefore not an aspect which put them in favour with the critics. Also, as I said before, there was obviously a need for such films because there is no alternative explanation for their popularity. After the initial curiosity, there must have been an element that made them want to go back for more.

Leon Hunt, British Low Culture, Routledge, 1998

Many critics are reluctant to sing the praises of the British sex comedy in its own right. Medhurst says of the Carry On films: 'They lack any warmth or evocation of community, and rely on ensemble playing rather than the driving force of individual comic talents'. David McGillivray describes their 'inane writing, hack direction, amateurish performances, technical inadequacy and a consequent deficiency of entertainment value.' This was not reflective in the box office - Come Play With Me (1977) had a run of four years in London alone and grossed some L500 000 in this period. These critics do not deny the massive success, which these films gained

Some common words found in the essay are:
Morecombe Wise, Behaving Badly', David McGillivray, Harrison Marks, Andrew Higson, Cool Carol, Doing Rude, Armando Iannucci, Barbara Windsor's, Victoria Wood, vulgar comedy, music hall, david mcgillivray, british film, sex comedies, leon hunt, british cinema, shift moral standards, p15 1992, elements innuendo, 'quality' film, mcgillivray p15 1992, british film tv,
Approximate Word count = 2191
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)