''The Breaking of Bumbo'' is a 1970 British

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by

Andrew Sinclair Andrew Annandale Sinclair FRSL FRSA (21 January 1935 – 30 May 2019) was a British novelist, historian, biographer, critic, filmmaker, and a publisher of classic and modern film scripts. He has been described as a "writer of extraordinary flu ...

, a former

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

National service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

officer that was updated from his 1959 novel of the same name that featured the

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...

. It starred

Richard Warwick Richard Warwick (29 April 1945 – 16 December 1997) was an English actor. He was born Richard Carey Winter, the third of four sons, at Meopham, Kent, and made his film debut in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in the r ...

Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...

Jeremy Child Sir Coles John Jeremy Child, 3rd Baronet (20 September 1944 – 7 March 2022) was a British actor. Early life Coles John Jeremy Child was born on 20 September 1944 in Woking, Surrey, son of Foreign Office diplomat Sir Coles John Child, 2nd B ...

and Edward Fox.

Plot

Newly commissioned Guards

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

'Bumbo' Bailey learns the facts of life from his new girl friend in

Swinging London The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mus ...

as well as from his

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

and commanding officer.

Cast

Production

In January 1970 Andrew Sinclair and Jeffrey Selznick announced they had formed a company, Timon Films, to make a film of ''Breaking of Bumbo'' in association with Associated British.

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

and

Andrew Mollo Andrew Mollo (born 15 May 1940 in Epsom, Surrey, England)Kevin Brownlow: ''How It Happened Here.'' UKA Press, London/Amsterdam/Shizuoka 2007, , p. 201. is a British expert on military uniforms, which has led him into a career in motion pictures ...

were going to direct but dropped out after a fall out with the producers.

Jacquemine Charrott Lodwidge Jacquemine Francesca Anastasia Charrott Lodwidge (born Jacqueline Lodwidge)Register of Births for Langport Registration District, vol. 5c , p. 441: "Lodwidge, Jacqueline other's maiden surnameKermaree" (20 July 1919 – 20 February 2012) was an En ...

was the film's fashion co-ordinator.

Reception

After a couple of preview screenings, the film's release was delayed then cancelled altogether. It was never distributed in Britain, but the producers recouped a little of their costs by selling the TV rights.In the Picture Sight and Sound; London Vol. 40, Iss. 3, (Summer 1971): 132.

References

External links

* * 1970 films British comedy films 1970 comedy films Films set in London Guards Division (United Kingdom) Military humor in film EMI Films films Films directed by Andrew Sinclair 1970s English-language films 1970s British films Fictional soldiers {{1970s-UK-comedy-film-stub