'Bullshot' was one of several productions from Hand Made Films, created originally by George Harrison and Denis O'Brien to make 'Monty Python's Life Of Brian' ( 1979 ). There is nothing Pythonesque about this romp however. It has more in common with Michael Palin and Terry Jones' 'Ripping Yarns' television series, in particular 'Whinfrey's Last Case'. Sapper and Gerald Fairlie's dashing hero 'Hugh Drummond' ( known to all and sundry as 'Bulldog' ) was just ripe for sending up. The resulting film, based on a stage play, compares favourably with those wild, wacky American spoofs 'Airplane!' and 'Blazing Saddles'.
Professor Rupert Fenton ( the late Michael Aldridge ) lives in the country with his unmarried daughter Rosemary ( Diz White ), who cannot say her 'r''s properly. When he is kidnapped by the German villain 'Otto Von Bruno' ( Ron House ), she calls on England's greatest hero - Captain Hugh 'Bullshot' Crummond ( Alan Shearman ). Von Bruno wants the secret half of the formula Fenton devised - it is in the locket Rosemary wears round her neck. While they plan to get it, Crummond has to suspend his investigations because of a prior commitment - he is due to take part in the London to Brighton car rally...
Shearman, who bears a striking resemblance to Stanley Baxter, cuts a dash as Crummond, all stiff upper lip, slicked back hair, and plus fours. Instead of depicting him as a buffoon, the writers went to the other extreme by making him impossibly brilliant at everything he does. He can work out complicated mathematical equations in the blink of an eye, and wins the boat race at the Henley Regatta all on his own! Despite his tendency to indulge in stirring patriotic speeches, he contrives to be a bigger fascist than his arch-enemy. Global warfare is his answer to the world's ills. Every one of the men who served under him in The Great War is now either dead, crippled or destitute. Witness his stance on feminism; "This country would be in a right mess if they made a woman Prime Minister!. White is delightful as 'Rosemary', with Ron House looks suitably villainous as the bald, monocled 'Von Bruno'.
This is terrific fun, the post-W.W.1 flavour is nicely caught by director Dick Clement, and the cast throw themselves into the thing with gusto, particularly Shearman, White and House ( who also wrote it ). Frances Tomelty ( Sting's ex-wife ) is stunningly sexy as the seductive Lenya, while Mel Smith, Billy Connolly and Nicholas Lyndhurst crop up in smaller roles.
Much of the humour is 'end of the pier', such as the unseemly bulge in Crummond's underwear, and the Fokker reference, but the film's no more smutty than your average 'Carry On'. Better than most of them in fact. The film surprisingly opened to a critical drubbing and none too impressive box office grosses. Since then, it has grown in popularity. Deserves a major critical reevaluation. Oh and John Du Prez's music's fabulous too. Toodle pip!
Professor Rupert Fenton ( the late Michael Aldridge ) lives in the country with his unmarried daughter Rosemary ( Diz White ), who cannot say her 'r''s properly. When he is kidnapped by the German villain 'Otto Von Bruno' ( Ron House ), she calls on England's greatest hero - Captain Hugh 'Bullshot' Crummond ( Alan Shearman ). Von Bruno wants the secret half of the formula Fenton devised - it is in the locket Rosemary wears round her neck. While they plan to get it, Crummond has to suspend his investigations because of a prior commitment - he is due to take part in the London to Brighton car rally...
Shearman, who bears a striking resemblance to Stanley Baxter, cuts a dash as Crummond, all stiff upper lip, slicked back hair, and plus fours. Instead of depicting him as a buffoon, the writers went to the other extreme by making him impossibly brilliant at everything he does. He can work out complicated mathematical equations in the blink of an eye, and wins the boat race at the Henley Regatta all on his own! Despite his tendency to indulge in stirring patriotic speeches, he contrives to be a bigger fascist than his arch-enemy. Global warfare is his answer to the world's ills. Every one of the men who served under him in The Great War is now either dead, crippled or destitute. Witness his stance on feminism; "This country would be in a right mess if they made a woman Prime Minister!. White is delightful as 'Rosemary', with Ron House looks suitably villainous as the bald, monocled 'Von Bruno'.
This is terrific fun, the post-W.W.1 flavour is nicely caught by director Dick Clement, and the cast throw themselves into the thing with gusto, particularly Shearman, White and House ( who also wrote it ). Frances Tomelty ( Sting's ex-wife ) is stunningly sexy as the seductive Lenya, while Mel Smith, Billy Connolly and Nicholas Lyndhurst crop up in smaller roles.
Much of the humour is 'end of the pier', such as the unseemly bulge in Crummond's underwear, and the Fokker reference, but the film's no more smutty than your average 'Carry On'. Better than most of them in fact. The film surprisingly opened to a critical drubbing and none too impressive box office grosses. Since then, it has grown in popularity. Deserves a major critical reevaluation. Oh and John Du Prez's music's fabulous too. Toodle pip!
