The Plank (1979)

I watched the 1967 version of The Plank and then later on I watched the 1979 version of the Plank. For some reason some of the funny scenes from the 1967 version have been cut out of the 1979 version to make it a half an hour programme instead of the original's 50 minutes. I like the idea of having lots of well known comedy faces in it such as Brian Murphy, Reg Varney, Charles Hawtrey, Harry H Corbett and Joanna Lumley, but the comedic effect is not as good as it was in the original 1967 version. Shame that Eric Sykes replaced Tommy Cooper with Arthur Lowe, but Lowe still does a good job. I also feel that it is a bit strained in a way as there are some silly moments, where for example, the workmen (Eric Sykes and Arthur Lowe) leave their car in the way of the exit, but it is a wide exit with tons of room to get through! Same happens a few minutes later when Brian Murphy's truck won't start. There is plenty of room to pass the truck but the drivers of the cars keep blowing their horns! OVERALL VERDICT: A good, entertaining film, not as good as the original, as some of the best moments (such as the UDC wet cement section, or the police station ending) are not in. Not as good as the original but still worth a watch.

"The Plank" is a British live action short film from 1979 written by, directed by and starring Eric Sykes. It runs for slightly under half an hour and does not include any spoken language, which means that even if you aren't fluent in English or are even a deaf person, you will not need any subtitles to enjoy this one. Still, it is a bit of a challenge admittedly to enjoy it because I believe it was not really too funny to watch the misadventures of the protagonists here. I guess it all comes down to how much you like pantomime overall. Maybe this one here makes a better watch as well if you love the works of the silent film greats from the early 20th century. It is probably among the more known works by Sykes, but in terms of the script I can only hope it is not one of his best because I found it ultimately really forgettable and it does not get me in the mood at all to watch any of his other stuff. Gotta give it a thumbs-down, even if it is not a complete failure. Acting is somewhat decent I guess, but not good enough to make up for everything else. And it manages to drag a bit, which is certainly nothing to be proud of at this runtime. Watch something else instead.

Once in every lifetime a show comes along like The Plank.A remake of the 1967 version, this again, has a large collection of the funniest people of their day.A story of a wayward plank and who it meets on it's travels.Watch it if you want to know what true comedy is...or should I say was.Gone are the days of Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army and the Two Ronnies.Comedy now is not the same. Watching The Plank transports the viewer back to the days of high comedy. Simple yet effective.The universal language of laughter.The Plank will forever live in history as a tribute to many who started TV comedy.

The Plank is a straight-forward slapstick short. To me, it summarizes the old-style slapstick of the old silent movies in a single movie. This means that some of the humor feels pretty outdated, like getting a cake in the face. But that is as it should in this movie. It is still very enjoyable. It has a wonderfully minimalistic theme, the transportation of a plank, executed with nice under-acting by Eric Sykes and Arthur Lowe.So don't expect the British humor from the same times by Monty Python/Feldman/Allen/Goodies/Atkinson. Watch it as a tribute to the old classics. Sykes and Lowe do it the old way, and they do it very well. I laugh at the references to the origins as much as the jokes as such. I could live without the laughter track though.Apart from Sykes and Lowe, the cliché old-times policeman (Jimmy Edwards) is wonderful, with mustache and all! Also, some scenes driving around with the plank are very good. As so often, the more subtle the humor, the better, and that is the case here too. The "delivery man" (Charlie Drake) is usually too crude (but necessary to deliver that side on the classic humor) as well as the painter, while the photographer, the milkman and the van drivers are funnier.Chaplin and Laurel&Hardy are (mostly) funny even today, and this movie builds on their work. It is the 20's in color.