I'm afraid that there's something of the philistine about you, Mr Rigsby.
That's very nice of you, Miss Jones.
This script
goes off on a detour a third of the way in. The first two scenes are about the
implications of a scarlet woman lodging in the house, provoking Rigsby's
lechery, Alan's guilelessness and Miss Jones's condemnation. The new lodger's
painted toenails are noticed with particular censure - a telling detail that must
have lost any purchase by about 1990.
Then, once it becomes known that Madeline has been keeping a python in her room, farce becomes the dominant mode. As luck would have it, Philip possesses a stuffed python and much hilarious confusion is intended to arise from the two snakes in the house. Unfortunately a lack of resources scuppers this comedy, because (apart from a separately-recorded initial cutaway shot of a live snake in a basket) both creatures look equally rubbery. Whenever the 'real' snake springs into life, it makes me think about the sterling work that the actors are doing attempting to maintain the illusion, rather than the intended situation.
Then, once it becomes known that Madeline has been keeping a python in her room, farce becomes the dominant mode. As luck would have it, Philip possesses a stuffed python and much hilarious confusion is intended to arise from the two snakes in the house. Unfortunately a lack of resources scuppers this comedy, because (apart from a separately-recorded initial cutaway shot of a live snake in a basket) both creatures look equally rubbery. Whenever the 'real' snake springs into life, it makes me think about the sterling work that the actors are doing attempting to maintain the illusion, rather than the intended situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment