A Hole Lot of Trouble

A HOLE LOT OF TROUBLE is a short comedy film obviously made to capture some of the magic of the likes of THE PLANK. The story is about some workmen digging a hole who are beset by bureaucratic busybodies and the machinations of a fashion designer who just so happens to be living nearby.

This is a virtually unseen film which is hardly surprising as it's not very good. As a comedy, it's not remotely funny, which comes as a real surprise given the talent of the cast involved. Arthur Lowe is on familiar form as the council official, and Victor Maddern and Bill Maynard are obvious choices for the workshy diggers. Leslie Dwyer even makes an appearance, randomly shoehorned into the storyline as he is.

But where's the humour? In short supply, that's obvious. Way too much of the short running time is taken up with a gay stereotype fashion designer character who I didn't much care for. Women are only around to titillate the men, and there's little of the slapstick I was hoping for. Director Francis Searle repeatedly proved himself to be a workmanlike director in the B-movies he churned out in the 1960s and ended his career making equally forgettable short films like this one.