No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 6, 2024

Cliff Owen's "No Sex Please, We're British" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mediumrare Entertainment. The only bonus feature on the release is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The sex maniac

Ronnie Corbett was an extraordinary actor. It might be true that he did benefit from that special face Mother Nature had given him, but he was the complete package. He moved, talked, and switched personalities in ways that made it incredibly difficult to tell whether he was always acting or frequently being himself in front of the camera. Also, he made everyone around him look better, even when the camera was not fixated on him. Though not as easily recognizable, because of this, Corbett was a lot like Terry-Thomas.

In Cliff Owen’s No Sex Please, We’re British, Corbett plays one of several loopy characters who get stuck in the kind of mess that can materialize only in a British comedy from the 1970s. He is the oddest one, which is hardly surprising. That he keeps trying to fix things and keeps making them worse is not surprising either, just as it is hardly surprising that he is the engine behind everything that makes the mess hilarious.

The fireworks begin when the ambitious owner of a porn shop orders a large load of imported dirty pictures from a hard-working porn supplier, who mails the product to the wrong address. The big parcel with the dirty pictures is delivered to newlyweds David (Ian Ogilvy) and Penny (Susan Penhaligon), who live in an apartment above the bank office where the former is employed, and on the same day the ultra-conservative manager of the bank, Mr. Bromley (Arthur Lowe), has a car accident while being distracted by the porn shop. The parcel is opened as David’s pretentious mother (Beryl Reid) appears with several cases and reveals her intention to spend more than a few days with the newlyweds. However, before the annoying guest can see the dirty pictures, raise hell, and terminate David and Penny’s marriage, Brian Runnicles (Corbett), David’s right-hand man at the bank, intervenes. While the dirty pictures are very slowly and unreflectively destroyed, first in David’s apartment and then in his office, the frustrated owner of the porn shop reaches out to the hard-working porn supplier and complains that he is not meeting his expectations. A bigger order of dirty books is promptly shipped and, like the initial order, it is promptly delivered in front of the bank.

No Sex Please, We’re British has a huge cast of excellent actors who do plenty to make it as entertaining as it is, so it is definitely a proper team project. But Corbett leads them, and the more time the camera spends observing his antics, the clearer it becomes that without him the film would have turned out differently -- very differently. Interestingly, Corbett does not demand the viewer’s attention in the same way a big star would because he does not compete with or contrast the other actors. He is just the crucial piece that always creates harmony in a fairly chaotic, entirely by design, of course, film.

While technically No Sex Please, We’re British is an adaptation of Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot’s successful play of the same name, it very much feels like an original project that is easier to place next to some of the zestier Carry On and wittier Adventures films. However, even with its large cast, No Sex Please, We’re British looks like a smaller project could and perhaps should have been expanded quite a bit.

Owen’s director of photography was Ken Hodges, whose credits include such gems as The Comedy Man, Assignment K, The Ruling Class, and Penny Gold. Hodges also lensed two Confessions films, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions From a Holiday Camp.

No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, No Sex Please, We're British arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mediumrare Entertainment.

The film looks very nice in high-definition, though it is easy to tell that if it is fully restored it will have an even more attractive appearance. The greatest strength of the master that was used to produce this release is the lack of compromising digital corrections. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good, but there really aren't any significant fluctuations in quality. Image stability is very good. Color balance is stable and convincing. Saturation can be improved a bit and a few supporting nuances should look healthier, but the color temperature is fine. I spotted a few tiny dirt spots, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, the entire film has a pleasing, stable organic appearance. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not notice any signs of age-related anomalies. All dialog and the music sounded clear, sharp, and properly balanced. Is there any room for meaningful improvements? I don't think so. If any adjustments are made, I believe that they will affect only the roundness of audio in select areas, possibly some minuscule unevenness in the upper register. Dynamic intensity is unimpressive, but this is an inherited limitation.

No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for No Sex Please, We're British. With music. (3 min).

No Sex Please, We're British Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ronnie Corbett is a hilarious sex maniac, bank officer, lover, and everything else various people want him to be in No Sex Please, We're British. However, even though he leads with authority, No Sex Please, We're British is not a one-man show but a team effort with plenty of equally hilarious big and small British stars. I love these types of vintage British comedies and had a terrific time with it. If you decide to pick up this release for your library, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.