Eskimo Nell (1975)

Eskimo Nell: Directed by Martin Campbell. With Michael Armstrong, Terence Edmond, Christopher Timothy, Roy Kinnear. Three young men, a scriptwriter, a producer and a director are called in by Benny U Murdoch, an exotic movie producer. He wants to make a new erotic movie starring a big woman – the “Eskimo Nell” of the title. However problems start from the beginning, the scriptwriter is a virgin, a lover of penguins and hasn’t a clue on how to write an erotic movie, each of the three main backers want a different type of movie – a western, an erotic and a kung-fu movie with different people in the main part. However problems really start for the three when Benny runs off with all the money and they have to make three different versions of the same film and try not to let the backers and stars know what has happened. And this is made harder when there is a clean-up-filth society breathing down their necks….

“Although touted as an u0026quot;Xu0026quot; rated British sex comedy from the early 1970u0026#39;s this film is really a satire of adult film making. Obviously, given the subject matter, there is nudity but it is tame by contemporary standards. The presence of many mainstream British comedy actors correctly implies that this is largely a comedy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA trio of would be film makers try to launch a production. Would be director Dennis Morrison (Michael Armstrong, who also wrote the film), would be producer Clive Potter (Terence Edmond) and would be screenwriter Harris Tweedle (Christoper Timothy) team up with low rent producer Benny U. Murdoch (Roy Kinnear). Murdoch hopes to make the movie, based on the naughty poem Eskimo Nell, with his favorite star Gladys Armitage (Diane Langton), she of the really big breasts, but first must raise the money. He has three interested parties who are each willing to put up a third of the money. Big Dick (Gordon Tanner) is a loud American producer who wants a u0026quot;hard coreu0026quot; version, featuring a laundry list of perversions, and starring his u0026quot;friendu0026quot; Billie Harris (Beth Porter). Financier Ambrose Cream (Richard Caldicot) wants a kung fu musical version starring his u0026quot;friendu0026quot; Millicent Bindle (Prudence Drage). Similarly financier Vernon Peabody (Jeremy Hawke) wants a gay western version starring his u0026quot;friendu0026quot; Johnny (Raynor Burton). Its up to the trio, principally writer Tweedle, to come up with the three scripts required to raise the money. Unfortunately Benny U. Murdoch is not to be trusted with money. The trio, already on the hook to deliver three films, have to get money for a fourth version from Lady Longhorn (Rosalind Knight). She, the leader of a moral reform group, wants to produce a morally uplifting family film starring her children Hermione (Katy Manning) and Jeremy (Christopher Biggins). We then proceed to make four completely different versions on one budget! Lady Longhorn, proud of her version, arranges a Royal Performance. Obviously, with four distinctly different versions, one can foresee the misunderstandings arising from getting the correct print to the premiere.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRoy Kinnear is somewhat u0026quot;over the topu0026quot; in the best sense of the phrase. Michael Armstrong comes off best in his scenes showing the actual filming of the versions. In the early scenes Christopher Timothy presented as a virgin (in the sexual sense) u0026quot;birdu0026quot; lover (in the penquin sense) but there is no payoff. Gordon Tanner is constantly aggravated by his mindless u0026quot;friendu0026quot; Beth Porter. Rosalind Knight is fine, albeit in a typecast role, but her son Christopher Biggins is memorable. The balance of the performers are generally adequate.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe enjoyment of this film is likely to depend, in part, on your film knowledge. Anyone who has responded to the advertisements of the filmu0026#39;s u0026quot;Xu0026quot; rating will be disappointed by the tame topless displays. On the other hand anyone who is up on the u0026quot;urban legendsu0026quot; of movie business will recognize many elements. The seedy producer (Benny U. Murdoch is a B.U.M.) trying to raise money from multiple backers (i.e. Mel Brooku0026#39;s The Producers). The writing of multiple versions of the scripts to turn one story into four films. The numerous u0026quot;friendsu0026quot; of the potential backers. The performances (i.e. Beth Porter stealing her character from Jean Hagen in Singinu0026#39; In The Rain) and take offs on actual characters (Gordon Tanner is a great Darryl Zanuck/Jack Warner, u0026quot;Will you shut up and let me yell in peace!u0026quot;). They even satirize the conventions of the u0026quot;caperu0026quot; movie in trying to get the right version of Eskimo Nell for the Royal Performance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI probably rated the movie higher than the average man on the street because I recognized and appreciated elements such as these. I believe that the film is an acceptable u0026quot;time wasteru0026quot; for any viewer but will be more fully appreciated by film buffs.”