'GOD SAVE OUR GRACIOUS MRS ETHEL SHROAKE!' This film, directed by Richard Lester, is based on the surreal play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus. It concerns the survivors of WW3, slowly decaying amid the ruins and rubble of society. It stars many familiar faces from British television and film, notably Arthur Lowe,Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Rita Tushingham and Dandy Nichols. The war only lasted two minutes and 28 seconds, but the lingering radiation has had catastrophic effects on the survivors....Arthur Lowe turns into a parrot (and is cooked and eaten), Mona Washbourne into a wardrobe, and Ralph Richardson into the bed sitting room of the title. Dandy Nichols plays Mrs Ethel Shroake, former cleaner to Her Majesty, and as a result the new monarch of England. Milligan himself is on his usual surreal form, and the screenplay follows the original story as best it can, despite the obvious limitations of 60's movie technology. I won't make any jokes about this one, it makes its point in tragi-comic style...More tales of wonder from Sneaky Elephant's movie alerts to follow!
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