What's Good For The Goose - UK and Continental Cuts/Versions

And so CosmoBells finally officially begins again after what seems to have been a lacklustre couple of months of technical problems and mostly nothingness. Note that I have now decided to put an "adult material" warning on the front of the site to avoid any trouble from visitors in that particular regard (not that there ever has been but I have read comments on other blogs to that effect so better to be safe than sorry!). Also, bare with me as I'm getting used to the new blog designer as it seems things have changed a bit since I've been away.

Anyway, we begin with a total treat for fans of cult/obscure British comedy sex trash in the form of one of my all-time favourite movies: The Norman Wisdom - Sally Geeson swinging sixties pop psyche groovy acid raunchfest* from 1969 that is What's Good For The Goose. A sort of Reginald Perrin meets Twinky, What's Good For The Goose (aka Girl Trouble) is probably most famous for three things: 1. The fact that psyche pop legends the Pretty Things not only did part of the soundtrack but they also appear in the movie in various scenes. 2. The fact that it was the last ever Norman Wisdom film. And 3. The debut of gorgeous Sally Geeson who - a couple of years later - would become famous playing Sid James' daughter in the classic 70s British sitcom Bless This House. Sally, in my opinion, is one of the most stunning, naturally beautiful and delightful British actresses I've ever seen. I grew up watching her all through the 70s in Bless This House and, of course, Carry On Abroad and her beauty and personality have always stuck in my head ever since. Directed by none other than the prolific Menahem Golan (who also wrote the story and screenplay) - he of the Golan-Globus partnership. Light years away from What's Good For The Goose, Golan would later go on to direct that laughable Stallone arm wrestling movie, co-produce Superman IV: The Quest For Peace and a few Chuck Morris "cult classics" and, even later, produce Death Wish V and Captain America... Norman Wisdom not only stars but was also associate producer, wrote the script and sings the theme song.

Note: There may be a slight exagerration in the "raunchfest" and "acid" descriptive department.

Many "hardcore" Norman Wisdom fans hate this movie but, for decades, I've longed loved this film. The theme song is an awesomely catchy brainwasher with an unknown yet strangely familiar to my ears guy singing the front titles version and Wisdom himself singing the end titles version. The superb speeded-up title sequence is very addictive - I could have watched the whole movie done that way! Yeah, as the heading above indicates - here we have two versions of the movie. The UK cut which is made with some kind of "family viewing" audience in mind (god knows why) and the near-mythical "Continental Version" made specifically for the European market with a definite "adult" audience in mind and which has apparently/allegedly never been released in English language.

These four screencaps represent the same scene

taken from the "Continental" and "UK" versions.

Have you spotted the difference?...

Yeah, I couldn't believe my luck when I finally found a copy - just the one copy - of the naughtier version of Goose on a well-known auction site. Things to note straight from the off: This Euro/German version I have is a lot shorter than the UK version with an abrupt, anti-climatic, non-happy ending. But it also has gorgeous Sally Geeson showing her lovely bare breasts a lot and features a few raunchier scenes - unlike the UK version. The interesting thing about the two versions are that they have near-enough exactly the same hotel room sequences except that Sally is covered up in the UK version where as she isn't in the Euro version. Now, I've read many comments on the net in the past saying that there is supposed to be a longer version which is uncut. Well, I have this here "uncut" version but it is a lot shorter than the regular version so I think "uncut" is possibly the wrong way of putting it. This may be - just may be - the actions of the German video releasers who wanted to use cheaper, shorter-length video tapes but that's just wild speculation on my part. My other theory is that there was possibly a different mentality to how the movie should end in regards to a European/German audience. All I can say is that the German release is brutally short in comparison and lacks a feelgood ending. On the upside, all the extra nudity and sauciness is intact. To an extent of what's possible. I mean, after all, I don't think Norman and Sally were out to make hardcore porn (shame, really!). Well, anyway... Sally Geeson is just as tasty in bra and panties in the UK version but it is an undeniable treat to see her au naturale (as they say). I can safely say that I enjoyed both versions of the film. Anyway, enjoy the caps...

 The plot: Timothy Bartlett (Norman Wisdom) is a middle-aged banker who is sent to a seaside resort for a banker's convention. He fears the meetings will be frightfully dull, but things change when two amorous hippie girls take Timothy for a sail on the sea of love. Timothy goes middle-aged crazy, making a spectacle of himself in hippie clothes as he tries to fit into the swinging scene. Nude dips in the ocean are followed and preceded by wild parties as he tries to recapture the days of his flaming youth. After he feels remorse and embarrassment over his behavior, he calls on his wife to join him at the convention to rekindle their love.

What's Good For The Goose is to Norman Wisdom what Twinky is to Charles Bronson and Baby Love is to Keith Barron... They just don't make "old guy falling for rather young girl" movies like this anymore, do they... For me, What's Good For The Goose is Wisdom's best film for a number of reasons: Obviously, for starters, it's an unmistakably groovy late 60s timepiece. Secondly, and more importantly I feel, Wisdom really makes for a great, serious actor. In fact, the comedy sits rather uncomfortably and feels a touch forced. Wisdom's usual pratfalls are kept to a minimum and you won't be hearing any cries of "Mister Grimsdale" in this one either. I actually think this movie could have spun off into a fine little classic comedy-drama-sitcom type series typical of it's time a la The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, Butterflies, etc with Wisdom and Geeson replaying their respective roles. A sort of May To December for the free love generation, if you will.

To make a bit of extra money, the Pretty Things made music for the De Wolfe music library under the guise of "The Electric Banana". Some of this music appeared in What's Good For The Goose. The music they made for this film - which includes early versions of songs which would appear on their psych classic S.F. Sorrow (note the reference in the above screencap) - is available on the albums The Electric Banana Blows Your Mind and Even More Electric Banana (I'll post them later if wanted). Despite what a lot of people say, the theme song does not appear on these albums. I get so sick of reading that it is - obviously the people who keep writing this have never seen the film and/or heard the song. The song which does appear on Even More Electric Banana that is called "What's Good For The Goose" is completely unrelated in melody and lyrics to the actual title as sung by Norman Wisdom on the end titles and the mystery act on the front title sequence (which sounds absolutely nothing like the Pretty Things/Electric Banana). Incidentally, the rest of the music for What's Good For The Goose was composed and orchestrated by none other than the legendary Reg Tilsley along with the equally legendary songwriting duo Howard Blaikley and Ken Howard. In fact, the excellent theme song was written by Tilsley, Howard and Blaikley (again, not written by the Pretty Things/Electric Banana as many often claim).

What's Good For The Goose (Continental Version)

Öfter mal was Junges!! - Der Schlappschwanz (German title)
1969
Language: German
75 mins
XVID
700 mb 

Source: German VHS release

Ripped and encoded by X-Y-Z-Cosmonaut.

What's Good For The Goose (UK Version)
1969
Language: English
112 mins
XVID
698 mb

Here's the rather amusing poster for the Swedish release.

Great shot of delicious Sally Geeson there. Absolutely gorgeous.

I think Wisdom bares a slight resemblance to Rammstein's

Till Lindemann. Looks like he's shouting "MUTTERRRRRRRR!"

All that's missing is the fire on his arms and Sally holding

a flamethrower. I wonder how Rammstein would have been

with Norman as the lead singer instead of Till?

Now there's a bizarre thought........... 
 Anyway, enough already with the random bullshit!