WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE (1969) – Well, is it?

 

Greg Goodsell here -- what we have in the Dungeon tonight is a vintage British sex farce that seems a tad too naughty for these here parts.  WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE also went under the title GIRL TROUBLE in the States or NORMAN - GIR DEN GAS in foreign territories!

Yes, our man Norman Wisdom plays banker Timothy Bartlett ruled by his humdrum, workaday routine. For a British sex quickie, however, WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE has quite a pedigree! It’s produced by horror film producer extraordinaire Tony Tenser, released by his Tigon Studios. Tenser had a hand in such classics as WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) and BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971)! Director Menachem Golan would later join forces with his cousin Yorum Globus to forge the incredible bomb factory known as Cannon Pictures in the 1970s! He died on August 8 at the ripe old age of 85 this very year! But we’re getting ahead of ourselves -
 

 To borrow a phrase from an old Kinks ditty, “What are we living for? Two-roomed apartment on the second floor.” Norman’s three adorable kids ignore and don’t appreciate all of his hard work -- can you feel a mid-life crisis coming on?

Sent to a conference by his ailing boss at the coastal town of Southport, trouble comes quickly! These two British lolly birds are about to get our friend Norman into all kinds of trouble! LET THE CARTOON BEGIN!

Adjusting their sunglasses, Nikki (Sally Geeson) and Meg (Sarah Atkinson) size our Norman up as a repressed old prude! That’s about to change in a very big way –

Yup, a little bit of leg will get any girl far in this world. Norman here feigns disapproval –

Geeson, the lovely brunette in this shot is the younger sister of distinguished British actress Judy Geeson of HORROR PLANET/INSEMINOID (1980) infamy! She would only appear in a few more pictures until she chucked acting all together in 1972 to pursue a teaching career!

The girls ply their wares and let slip that they will be partying in town that weekend. You can see the bug slip into Norman’s ear at this point!

There’s a lot more from where that came from?

Out and about to pick up a pack of fags -- that’s CIGARETTES, for you yanks, Norman stumbles into a -- literally -- underground nightclub called the Screaming Apple!

As you can see, poor Norman is a real fish out of water in this kooky comedy as he takes to a psychedelic hippie joint in black bowtie and tuxedo!

As plainly evident, there are a lot of British hippies who were having FUN FUN FUN in this nightspot where patrons can swing on inner tubes! Looks unsafe …

The enthusiastic British hipsters welcome Norman with open arms, because -- HE HAS MONEY! YAY!

Here is why this film is remembered, if at all -- it features the noted and celebrated psychedelic and blues rock group the Pretty Things! The Things contribute four songs to this film’s soundtrack. As you can see, these Things aren’t particularly “pretty” -- but neither is rock and roll!

What is good for the goose REALLY is good for the gander, as this male waiter, in the manner of other swingin’ female birds of the time, goes “topless. “

Why, even a member of the house band also goes the Tarzan route!

And here’s our fave “it” girl again, trying to convince Norman to stop being such an old fuddy-duddy!

Bedding down with his lovely for a night of extramarital sex, a lock of her hair strategically placed foresees the macho street clone look that would become popular in the following decade!

Norman afterwards embraces the youth counter-culture. A bit of booze and some Carnaby Street clothes make the man!

Yours truly is ashamed to say that he, at one point, wore vests like that -- as late as 1976!

Feeling remorseful, Norman drags his wife (Sally Bazely) to Southport for some hippie clothes and free-wheeling fun, but as she slathers on some cold cream, our hero realizes -- you can’t go home again! Is what’s good for the goose REALLY good for the gander? You’ll have to see the movie to find out! This is Greg Goodsell – over and out!