David Askey's largely amiable musical comedy 'Take Me High' (1973) is wistfully 'wired for sound', having picture-perfect pop-tastic Sir Cliff Richard making a goodly racket in Birmingham with the buxomly bubbly, deliciously delectable Deborah Watling at his side! This untaxing, light and frothy 70s comedy is greatly enlivened by the rather pleasing upbeat ditties! Cosy, rather than crucial, but dashed fine, easy on the lugholes fun nonetheless! As you might well imagine, songbird Sir Cliff has little problem playing a convincing Merchant banker, and the stately presence of George Cole gives 'Take Me High' far more gravitas than it deserves! Along with the especially fine score by Tony Cole, Vintage British film fans are frequently given a warmly nostalgic, Brum's-eye view of this iconic city that gave the world Black Sabbath and the Brumburger!
The capable cast is colourfully dappled with stalwart veterans of stage and screen: Ronald Hines, comely Hammer Films siren Madeline Smith, the witheringly handsome Antony Andrews, Richard Wattis, and barnstorming, bug-eyed Stentorian actor Hugh Griffith boisterously delivers another louder-than-life performance as blustering, hypertensive gun-happy Brummie millionaire Sir Harry Cunningham. By no means essential viewing, since 'Take Me High' is dramatically slight, and, will, no doubt, be appreciated with greater fervour by Sir Cliff's legion of dotty fans, residents of Birmingham, musical comedy completists, and those more refined individuals who simply can't get enough of the sinfully curvaceous beauty Deborah Watling! Cult TV fans might also care to note that screenwriter Christopher Penfold also wrote episodes of cracking Sci-fi serial 'The Tripods'.
The capable cast is colourfully dappled with stalwart veterans of stage and screen: Ronald Hines, comely Hammer Films siren Madeline Smith, the witheringly handsome Antony Andrews, Richard Wattis, and barnstorming, bug-eyed Stentorian actor Hugh Griffith boisterously delivers another louder-than-life performance as blustering, hypertensive gun-happy Brummie millionaire Sir Harry Cunningham. By no means essential viewing, since 'Take Me High' is dramatically slight, and, will, no doubt, be appreciated with greater fervour by Sir Cliff's legion of dotty fans, residents of Birmingham, musical comedy completists, and those more refined individuals who simply can't get enough of the sinfully curvaceous beauty Deborah Watling! Cult TV fans might also care to note that screenwriter Christopher Penfold also wrote episodes of cracking Sci-fi serial 'The Tripods'.