This is a spin off from The Army Game one of the first comedy successes of ITV,not BBC as per the lines notes.It stars the TV cast with one exception.On TV William Hartnell played Sergeant Major Bullymore.Here his part is played by David Lodge.When the film was made young men were still having to do national service in the army.Maybe this accounts for its success on TV and of course the notable success of Carry On Sergeant,which co starred William Hartnell.Whereas the Carry On went for observed humour and physical comedy this just goes for physical comedy.It laughs at rather than with Bernard Bresslaw's character.It was his character and that of Alfie Bass which were the real stars of the show.However unlike the Carry On this feels very dated.The laughs are laboured and hard to come by.Little wonder that the carry on is still shown on TV whilst this is long forgotten.
3 Reviews
I've No Interest In The Answer
boblipton4 May 2023
A request from a British protectorate in the Middle East is met by sending Major Geoffrey Sumner, a sergeant-major, and five enlisted men, who spend most of their time trying to get into the King's harem, while an uprising rages around them.
It's a film version of the British TV service sitcom, The Army Game, with several of enlisted men from the series: Bernard Bresslaw, Michael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Charles Hawtrey, and Norman Rossington are all present from the first series, doing their signature bits. While I have never seen any of the episodes from the season -- only about a third of the series survives -- that's one of the major issues of film versions of TV series: what may be funny in half an hour, movie versions tend to move the venue from its usual location in an effort to add value, which reduces the fun, and a character that is laughworthy in small doses palls at greater lengths; for example, I found Bresslaw's nasal and foolish character palled soon enough. Michael Bentine shows up in blackface as a procurer, but displays no goonery in the show.
Many of the cast turned up in various Carry On films, and several found their strength elsewhere, but except for the few fans of the TV show yearning nostalgically for the old days, this won't win many plaudits.
It's a film version of the British TV service sitcom, The Army Game, with several of enlisted men from the series: Bernard Bresslaw, Michael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Charles Hawtrey, and Norman Rossington are all present from the first series, doing their signature bits. While I have never seen any of the episodes from the season -- only about a third of the series survives -- that's one of the major issues of film versions of TV series: what may be funny in half an hour, movie versions tend to move the venue from its usual location in an effort to add value, which reduces the fun, and a character that is laughworthy in small doses palls at greater lengths; for example, I found Bresslaw's nasal and foolish character palled soon enough. Michael Bentine shows up in blackface as a procurer, but displays no goonery in the show.
Many of the cast turned up in various Carry On films, and several found their strength elsewhere, but except for the few fans of the TV show yearning nostalgically for the old days, this won't win many plaudits.
Weak-minded
Leofwine_draca26 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Hammer's I ONLY ARSKED! is a spin-off from the popular TV series THE ARMY GAME, and it brings across stars Alfie Bass and Bernard Bresslaw to boot. Unfortunately this is a comedy saddled with an extremely weak script that goes for dumb humour and silly laughs throughout. It's a far cry from CARRY ON SERGEANT, made at around the same time and which spoofed the army situation in a much funnier way. I normally like Bresslaw but he's a weak-minded idiot here, playing the comedy right down, and the way in which endless supporting talent is wasted is a real pity. The story has Bresslaw and his goonish buddies heading off to a made-up Middle Eastern country, where all they do is try to get into a harem to romance some pretty girls. Even lovers of British comedy cinema of the 1950s will be hard pressed to enjoy this one.
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