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Keep It Clean
Keep It Clean is a 1956 British black-and-white comedy film directed by David Paltenghi and starring Ronald Shiner and Joan Sims.[1] The screenplay was by Carl Nystrom and R. F. Delderfield. PlotAdvertising agent Bert Lane plans to market his brother-in-law Peter's new miracle cleaning machine. However, Bert's boss Mr. Bouncenboy wants him to advertise Mrs Anstey's famous crumpets, but Bert's cheesecake advertising slogans incur the wrath of Mrs Anstey and her Purity League, as well as that of his boss. Cast
ReceptionBox officeThe film was a commercial disappointment.[2] CriticalMonthly Film Bulletin said "A dispiritingly unfunny farce, which lacks surprise in its story, timing in its slapstick and humorous appeal in its players. Several competent performers are embarrassingly and unhappily involved in the affair."[3] Kine Weekly said "The picture takes a crack at Mrs. Grundy, a henpecked window cleaner, members of the aristocracy and non-stop striptease variety shows, but does not always hit its mark. What's more, some of its quips are crude, but by and large the fun is reasonably clean, if not clever. Ronald Shiner, who always enjoys his own jokes, never lets up as Bert, Jean Cadell is shrewdly cast as the austere Mrs. Anstey, and the others make eager stooges."[4] Picturegoer wrote: "It's a pity to see such a first-rate comic as Ronald Shiner running riot over a puny comedy that at best has the makings only of a rowdy music-hall sketch. ... Shiner and James Hayter ham it up outrageously. No bewhiskered gags or comedy characters are spared. If there's a bucket of water around someone is sure to fall into it. ... There are lodgers, window cleaners, striptease girls, old lady firebrands, impoverished aristocrats . . . the lot."[5] Picture Show called the film "Lively slapstick comedy."[6] In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Shiner floundering outside auspices of big studios, time-honoured slapstick situations litter unfunny comedy."[7] References
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