THE BEST PAIR OF LEGS IN THE BUSINESS is a British tragi-comedy of the early 1970s, featuring a strong central performance from Reg Varney. Varney, so well known from his starring role in the ON THE BUSES franchise, gives a multi-layered turn here as a sad sack performer at a run-down holiday camp, typically dressing up in drag to entertain his tiny audiences. There are shades of Olivier in THE ENTERTAINER and I think it's fair to say that Varney is more than up to the job, with a lot of sadness and regret in his tired eyes.
The rest of the film is a mixed bag. It's great for showing off the era and the social attitudes of the day, but as a comedy it's not really all that funny. Most of the running time seems to consist of bickering between family members. The scenes of the young lads chasing uninterested girls around feel like sub CARRY ON routines and are the most dated part of the whole production. The supporting cast includes a nice turn from veteran villain George Sweeney alongside Johnny Briggs, Geoffrey Chater, and a youthful Jane Seymour.
The rest of the film is a mixed bag. It's great for showing off the era and the social attitudes of the day, but as a comedy it's not really all that funny. Most of the running time seems to consist of bickering between family members. The scenes of the young lads chasing uninterested girls around feel like sub CARRY ON routines and are the most dated part of the whole production. The supporting cast includes a nice turn from veteran villain George Sweeney alongside Johnny Briggs, Geoffrey Chater, and a youthful Jane Seymour.