When this film was shown recently on TV there was an apologetic announcement before the start, to say that it contained some racist elements which would be frowned on today. Fortunately I wasn't put off. In fact the fake Arabian prince, who is in reality a Cockney, is a thieving little bully, while the real prince is polite and charming; how this is racist, I fail to understand. That apart, all I can say is that I laughed out loud all through the film, which is witty, entertaining and fast-paced, as well as an excellent showcase for Jimmy Edwards's comic talents and those of the rest of the cast. Strongly recommended.

A movie spin-off from the popular TV comedy series WHACK-O!, BOTTOMS UP sees Jimmy Edwards playing a strict professor who enjoys using the cane to bring his unruly pupils under control. This might have passed muster once upon a time, but these days it's very weak indeed and more than a little embarrassing. If watching Melvyn Hayes dressing up in blackface to play an Arab princeling is your idea of humour then that's all well and good, but I found this tired and drawn-out to the nth degree. Edwards gives a bluff, one-note performance and the likes of Richard Briers, Sydney Tafler and Reginald Beckwith are wasted in brief turns. The film feels like a gender-swap version of a ST. TRINIANS movie but isn't half as funny or indeed as boisterous as those.

Jimmy Edwards is the headmaster of a third-rate public school -- for Americans, that means a private school. He believes in beating the boys for any offense and none. Eventually, they revolt.

It's a feature-length version of Edwards' TV show, WHACK-O. I've never seen it, but found that his blustery character palled on me over ninety minutes. It's certainly possible that at the shorter length of TV sitcom, it was more palatable. Apparently, the show, which ran eight seasons from 1956 through 1972, for a total of 60 episodes, would have Edwards attempting to steal the boys' pocket money, like a futile Sgt. Bilko.

Other notable players include Martitia Hunt, Sidney Taffer and John Stuart.