Little Miss Girly has a brother called Sonny and together they invite random pick-ups to their home to meet Mumsy and Nanny. There's chocolate biscuits and nice cups of tea on the menu, but only medicine for dessert. "It's the rule" as Mumsy points out to a reluctant diner. "Sod the rules" he barks, in one of the many Pinteresque exchanges, "where's my teacake?" The house, already seething with sexual repression amidst the children's games and nursery rhymes, heats up considerably when one 'guest' (or 'friend' as they are known) seeks a way out of the madness by playing the women off against each other. Sonny captures this and worse on his Super 8 camera and in doing so evokes the spirit of Peeping Tom, a film which preceded this by nine years.'Little Miss Girly Packs Her Bags And Another One's Off To The Angels' sings Girly herself (to the tune of Nellie the Elephant) after the latest atrocity. Such rhymes and rules are designed to protect the residents from the ravishes of London, swinging away outside. Some have likened the story to some of Tennessee Williams work particularly Baby Doll, a description well suited to Girly. Despite being full of English eccentricity rather than Deep South nut jobs, this is a credible comparison. I'm not a big fan of Freddie Francis (as director) but he does a great job here, making the mental seem almost normal and ensuring things don't get too camp.
... View More"Mumsy,Nanny,Sonny and Girly" is a dark 1969 British horror-comedy which is based on a stage play by Maisie Mosco entitled "Happy Family".The main characters of the film are the members of a wealthy British family whose names are synonymous with their roles within the family:the mother called Mumsy,the maid called Nanny,the son called Sonny and the daughter called Girly.Despite being in their twenties Sonny and Girly act like prepubescent children,dressing in British school uniforms and sleeping in giant cribs in a room full of toys.Sonny and Girly regularly seek out male loners,hobos and hippies to lure back to their house,where they are then forced to play "The Game".When the "new friends" refuse to participate they are murdered or "sent to the angels".Freddie Francis's "Girly" is a fantastic film which faded into obscurity too quickly.During a 2004 Freddie Francis film festival in England, the organizers struggled to find a VHS copy of the film to screen, but couldn't come up with one and it was briefly thought to be lost to the public,until copies began to surface on the internet in 2004.The acting is solid and there is enough creepy moments to satisfy any self-respecting horror fan.8 out of 10.
... View MoreFans of British horror and black comedy should definitely track down this Freddie Francis film, which was not imaginatively marketed at the time of its release and was never able to connect with its proper audience. I saw this at the base theatre during my Air Force days. Most films on base only ran for one day (three shows) and this was one of a handful that drew capacity crowds to the second and third shows due to "word of mouth" praise by those who attended the first screening. If you liked Jack Hill's "Spider Baby" (1968) you will love this film as it appears to have served as Francis' inspiration. Originally titled "Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly", the title was shortened to just "Girly", appropriate since Girly is the main character. It is definitely a product of its times. Imagine mixing "The Beguiled" with the television shows "The Avengers" and "The Prisoner". Francis was primarily a television director.Like those shows, much of the humor comes from presenting extreme characters and situations as if there they are nothing exceptional. In this case a nutty family of four (insert original title here) which includes a brother and sister far to old for their school uniforms.Vanessa Howard plays the title character with a lot of sizzle and will remind viewers of Tisha Sterling, especially Sterling's portrayal of Ma Parker's daughter Legs on the Batman television show. She has a lot of fun with this role alternating instantly between playful child, coquettish flirt, and violent psychopath. Howard is a genuinely fine actress, although in "Girly" her short skirts and provocative scripting make it hard to concentrate on her acting skills.This happy family lives on a large estate just outside London and amuse themselves by luring men there to serve as the children's playmates in various games supervised by Mumsy (Ursula Howells) and Nanny (Pat Heywood). When these new friends outlive their usefulness they are dispatched in novel ways and "sent to the angels". The last new friend believes himself a murderer and in time actually wants to become part the family, or anything else involving Girly. This sets things up for a cute twist at the end as Francis examines the fragility of sanity.The best scene is a slick little seduction sequence around the pool table. As the new friend looks on Howard places a doll in each pocket and calmly circles the table, driving a ball into each doll's face. At the same time she keeps up a monologue about the punishment her playmate will receive if he should try to leave. Very cool.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
... View Moreabout three years ago, my friend gave me a VHS which contained three films. One of them being "GIRLY". I was board one day so I threw it in My VCR, I watched the first two movies which were not too bad, but when girly came on I was really hooked. I actually rewound the picture and watched it a second time. I still remember soldier in the beginning of the movie. He is my favorite character. near the start of the picture, it's hilarious when girly gives him the flask and he takes it without question. Another one of my favorite parts of the movie is when girly sings the siamese national anthem. Anyway, Girly definitely is one of the best movies ever made. I would definitely rate it 10/10.
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