Review of Up Pompeii (1971) by Jimmy M — 02 Sep 2011

Based upon the popular BBC comedy series created by Carry On writer Talbot Rothwell, Up Pompeii! headed for the big screen with a bigger scale and more smut and innuendo. Even now, it's one of the best TV to film transfers of this period, we need more comedies like this now, we were on top with stuff like this.

Set in Pompeii, it has Roman slave Lurcio (Frankie Howerd) who is collection wine, food and slaves for a planned orgy by his master Ludicrus Sextus (Michael Hordern). However, while out, Lurcio has a run-in with Roman centurion Bilius (Lance Percival) and accidentally ends up with a scroll which unveils a plot to kill the Emperor Nero (Patrick Cargill), the first attempt to get the scroll back during the orgy doesn't go well, and then Ludricrus Sextus finds out about the plot, and now knows too much.

The conspirators, Prosperus Maximus (Bill Fraser) and Voluptua (Julie Ege) plan to kill Sextus to keep him quiet, however it's up to slave Lurcio to save Sextus and stop Nero from being killed, but there's more to come, when nearby Mount Vesuvius starts erupting.

There's some brilliant double entendres on display and alot of sex and nudity too, it's closer in tone to what the Confessions films did. Frankie is always hilarious, and it has a great cast including Roy Hudd, Hugh Paddick, Madeline Smith and Bernard Bresslaw.