Lost Musical With Name Too Long For Thread Title!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 4/26/12 at 7:12am

1969 United Kingdom.
Starring Anthony Newley, Joan Collins, Connie Kreski, Milton Berle

Anthony Newley’s tour-de-farce – he wrote, directed, produced, starred in and wrote the songs for it – won the Golden Turkey Award when it came out in 1969.
The title kept most newspapers from advertising it and the offbeat content kept theatergoers shaking their heads. A big layout in Playboy magazine featured Playmate of the Year Connie Kreski – the titular Humppe – and helped fill the movie houses.
Newley was married to Joan Collins at the time, which is probably why she made the movie. This vanity production typecasts Newley as a musical-comedy performer caught up in his hedonistic lifestyle. Filled with self-conscious flashbacks,psychedelic camera tricks, Milton Berle, Georgie Jessel and plenty of naked females.

Such was Newley's star power in the 60's and 70's he able to assemble an amazing line up of stars for the movie, many of whom totally disengaged any contact when it was released with many taking court orders to have their names removed from all publicity.

The cast list (take note of the character names!!!)
Anthony Newley as Heironymus Merkin
Joan Collins as Polyester Poontang
Sascha Newley as Thaxted
Tara Newley as Thumbelina
Milton Berle as Good Time Eddie Filth
Connie Kreski as Mercy Humppe
George Jessel as The Prescence
Bruce Forsyth as Uncle Limelight
Patricia Hayes as Grandma
Stubby Kaye as Fat Writer
Victor Spinetti as Sharpnose
Judy Cornwell as Filigree Fondle
Yolanda as Trampolena Wham Bang
Lynda Baron as Baby Boobala Salesgirl
Joyce Blair as Oat-O-Rinos Girl
Muriel Young as Liz

It must be seen to be believed.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 4/26/12 at 7:39am

Updated On: 4/27/12 at 07:39 AM

[hotjohn]

Posted: 4/26/12 at 5:52pm

I agree with you Mama, it must be seen ...

I guessed the show from your thread title.

I distinctly remember seeing it on late-night TV when I was a teenager (40 years ago) and, once seen, never forgotten. It was like watching a car crash, you felt kind of guilty witnessing other peoples' misery but couldn't help yourself. It may well have scarred me for life!

[StageDoorLondon]

Posted: 4/27/12 at 2:53am

The film did have a fantastic score though, written by Newley and Herbert Kretzmer. Although the soundtrack has yet to appear on CD, Stage Door released 10 of Newley's demos for the musical on the CD 'Newley Discovered' in 2010.

The track 'I'm All I Need' is just epic, other highlights include the naughty 'Once Upon A Time' and Joan Collins' solo 'Chalk And Cheese'. You can listen to samples on amazon.





Newley Discovered - Amazon

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 4/27/12 at 3:04am

i saw this on VHS in around 1975 and it is still etched on my mind today. I've often wondered if this is why she divorced him!