AGEING ‘CASANOVA’ STILL TOO SOON

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 4

AGEING ‘CASANOVA’ STILL TOO SOON

Judging from the first episode of the “Casanova ’73” series it doesn’t matter in the slightest that this programme is already tw»i years late reaching the New Zealand screens? Better by far that it failed to arrive at all.

The British have an unfailing knack of making fdiots of themselves when they tackle what is known as a “sex comedy.” All they

demonstrate is the truth that the two terms are mutually exclusive.

Since the enjoyment of mirth and sex cannot exist simultaneously, comedy of this kind is a sniggering business at the best of times and corn for the rest. Two fine script writers are wasted if Saturday night’s opening was a fair sample of the whole; Leslie Phillips is only continuing with the kind of characterisation he has made his own — and welcome to it.

On paper, Saturday looked

quite good, but it never repaid viewers’ interest. The general standard may be indicated by saying that, in retrospect, Eric and Hattie seemed stalwarts of the night. “Mystery Movie” jogged along with its usual frontiers of science miracles, and the wise old lawman restraining the youthful and impetuous sheriff. If the chemical facts as adduced are sound then the Health Department should consider a campaign about the toxic qualitites of vinegar meeting hot limestone. Everyone knows that these two materials are part of the items in every home sauna.

Even the inevitable shootout could not save this episode. which left out nothing of the Old West — including Indians — while losing snoring viewers by the thousand. # $ $

“Shadows of Fear” was, however, the keenest disappointment. This series has had some first-class episodes, and always holds promise. But this time it was a thoroughly far-fetched piece of business which quite failed in the one thing that matters in this programme — suspense.

When George Cole appeared as one of the principals this seemed encouraging, too; he is last remembered for his work in the engrossing “A Man of Our Times” series. Even Cole could do nothing with this silly “Shadows of Fear” presentation. He played (as usual) the part of a loser, but there was no way that he could show his talents — and this has nothing to do with the fact that this part was that of a heavy. Cole is affectionately recalled for his old and longrunning radio comedy serial in which he was always billed as "David Alexander Bliss, better known as George Cole.” Actually, as time went on, he became better known as David Alexander Bliss.

Unless the Wellington meddlers have been at ,it again, poor George didn’t even get a proper look at the full ventral nudity on Saturday put on for his stage benefit. It was a faster flash than anything achieved under a raincoat — any perception was positively subliminal.

At least the community standards crowd won’t get a croak from it. 8: * *

A company which services television sets has an inept advertisemnt which follows an idea tried equally unsuccessfully by a couple of other firms. This asks viewers to take seriously the cliche of the unsolicited testimonial. The stupidity of the whole thing is so apparent that at least the exasperated viewer has the satisfaction of realising that the advertiser is losing, through withdrawal of good will, more business than he is gaining. An unpretentious programme for the children which screened on Friday had magazine material from overseas which was easily as good as many of the old “World Scene” offerings. “Windows” could be fairly greeted as a junior “World Scene” which outshone its parent. Two of the items were of Russian space work and the use of a hovercraf t in the Arctic. Both were previously unseen material, and highly interesting. It was fascinating to see the constant minor differences between the Russian and American material and methods — a round capsule instead of a cone, horizontal transport of the rocket to the launching pad instead of vertical, and so bn. When Yugi Gagarin first went aloft the farewell scene was almost entirely the same as for his American counterparts except for the excessive hand-clapping. If Peter Reed hadn’t been so biased in favour of the Americans we might have had some of these clips earlier on “Night Sky.” Hs * *

At last a new industry for Canterbury sheepfarmers The making of Roquefort cheese

“The French Way” in its final episode dealt with this att. All it seems to require are limestone caves, some green mould, and ewes to milk.

Well, the limestone hills are waiting in the Weka PaSs and beyond Porters Pass, the mould can be produced on any Christchurchmade bread in about 12 hours; and this just leaves the development of milking machines for sheep. — D.M 1