Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers **½ (1977, Robin Askwith, Nigel Davenport, George Layton, Robin Nedwell, Warren Mitchell, John le Mesurier, Edward Woodward, Irene Handl) – Classic Movie Review 9739

Leslie Thomas scripts from his own novel, but is the now iconic Seventies cast that is the making of the 1977 British army sex comedy Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers.

Director Norman Cohen’s 1977 British army sex comedy Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers is the amusingly vulgar though inferior sequel by Leslie Thomas to 1969’s The Virgin Soldiers with more 1950s sexual escapades from the British recruits in Singapore, where they visit the local brothel. It is set in Malaya in 1950.

Nigel Davenport returns from the original as Sergeant Driscoll, joined by Robin Askwith as Private Brigg (Hywel Bennett’s old role), George Layton (as Private Jacobs) and Robin Nedwell (as Lt Grainger), eager, likeable and very good exponents of breezy low-class comedy, all giving appealing performances.

Warren Mitchell (as Morris Morris), John le Mesurier (as Colonel Bromley-Pickering), Edward Woodward (as Sergeant Wellbeloved) and Irene Handl (as Mrs Phillimore) bring a touch of real class.

Thomas scripts untidily from his own novel, but it has its moments, though it is the now iconic Seventies cast that is the making of it.

Also in the cast are Pamela Stephenson, Lynda Bellingham, David Auker, Patrick Newell, Rosamund Greenwood and Miriam Margolyes (as Elephant Ethel). Fiesta Mei Ling plays the Asian call-girl character of Juicy Lucy (played by Tsai Chin in the first film).

Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers is directed by Norman Cohen, runs 90 minutes is made by Maidenhead Film Productions and Warner Bros, is released by Columbia-Warner Distributors (1977) (UK), is written by Leslie Thomas, based on the novel by Leslie Thomas, is shot by Ken Hodges, is produced by Greg Smith and is scored by Ed Welch.

The 1966 novel The Virgin Soldiers spawned two sequel novels, Onward Virgin Soldiers (1971) – so far unfilmed – and Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1975).

The cast are Robin Askwith as Private Brigg, Nigel Davenport as Sergeant Driscoll, George Layton as Private Jacobs, John Le Mesurier as Colonel Bromley-Pickering, Warren Mitchell as Morris Morris, Robin Nedwell as Lt Grainger, Edward Woodward as Sergeant Wellbeloved, Irene Handl as Mrs Phillimore, Pamela Stephenson as Bernice, Lynda Bellingham as Valerie, David Auker as Lantry, Fiesta Mei Ling as Juicy Lucy, Miriam Margolyes as Elephant Ethel, and Patrick Newell as M.O. Billings.

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