Here's a movie for Barbara Steele fans. Her role is not large, but it's important to the plot -- such as it is -- and she looks gorgeous! In other respects, however, this little "B" comedy with top stars in Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Richard Wattis and Peter Reynolds, is a rather disappointing "affair", even though it is certainly most agreeably acted, particularly by Richard Wattis and Peggy Cummins (and good to see Ian Fleming as the judge). Direction, photography and other credits are capable, but the very, very lightweight script by Ronald Jeans really lets the side down. True, the plot has plenty of potential but all its promising ideas never really materialize. Instead we are treated to very conventional and easily predictable plot developments; and even the few promising threads that survive are drowned in a plethora of dull dialogue.
5 Reviews
Bland And Strait-Laced Comedy
boblipton23 November 2019
Donald Sinden and Peggy Cummins are a loving couple with a lot of debts. When her aunt's will turns up, it provides her an annual income of less than 400 pounds, but the principal can be invaded for the education of children -- of which they have none -- or in the event of their divorce calling for more cash. They try taking in paying guests, but the typical collection of eccentrics -- Peter Reynolds is actually amusing -- never actually pay, leaving them worse off than ever. So they decide to get divorced. One of them must give grounds, which sets the second half of the plot in motion.
Miss Cummins and Sinden are pretty good in their roles, but the film relies too much on standard comedy tropes to be particularly interesting. In addition, I found that the musical score was intrusive, sniggering, and a bit lazy as played by Bert Weedon. the result is another of the sexless sex comedies that seemed to be in regular production in Britain in the early 1960s, and not a very distinguished example.
Miss Cummins and Sinden are pretty good in their roles, but the film relies too much on standard comedy tropes to be particularly interesting. In addition, I found that the musical score was intrusive, sniggering, and a bit lazy as played by Bert Weedon. the result is another of the sexless sex comedies that seemed to be in regular production in Britain in the early 1960s, and not a very distinguished example.
Witless Farce
malcolmgsw15 December 2013
There is not one character,one line of dialogue or one plot point that made me laugh.It seems that the only idea the director had was to get his cast to shout the dialogue as loud as possible so that the audience would find this funny.The eccentrics brought into populate the cast are neither funny or endearing they are just silly.It is difficult to believe that this film was distributed by the Rank Organisation.It must have emptied then many near derelict halls that were still open at this time.Audiences were plummeting at this time and Ranks only solution was to close as many cinemas as they could.Certainly one of the worst British films I have viewed and not worth a screening.
Spectacularly unfunny
nickjgunning11 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
How on earth did any of these characters survive into show business? Lots of comedy set pieces that might work on a provincial stage, somewhere culturally starved, but mainly like a bunch of morticians trying to do impressions of Laurel and Hardy. A script based on the premise that the principals must divorce to gain an inheritance is not exactly side- splittingly hilarious. But it's not helped by the characters who are so bland you can't imagine them marrying in the first place. Peggy Cummings is like a very dull children's presenter from the 50s and Donald Sinden is the dreariest love interest imaginable. The role stereotyping is antiquated even for 1960. Such japes as the volume control on the record player getting stuck and a stack of books dropped on the stairs tripping up characters are the high points! Nuff said!
What a mess!
Leofwine_draca15 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
YOUR MONEY OR YOUR WIFE is one of the most appalling and unfunny British comedies I've ever seen for. Comedies can be many things and come in many different shapes and forms, but the cardinal sin is always boredom and this is, indeed, a truly boring production. It's a low rent, low budget, small scale domestic situation in which a couple have to pretend to be divorcing in order to inherit a will. Donald Sinden and Peggy Cummings seem all at sea and given the material it's hard to blame them for that. The script is absolutely awful and just keeps going on and on without a single laugh all the way through. Pity poor old Richard Wattis, mired right in the middle of this mess.
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